Dear colleagues
It is hard to believe we are already almost halfway through Term 3, with the end of winter finally in our sights.
With infrastructure being such a critical part of the Best Start, Best Life reforms, it’s exciting that this month we are highlighting some breaking news about the 4 early learning centres opening in 2025 at Eaglehawk North Primary School, Moomba Park Primary School in Fawkner, Murtoa College and Sunshine Primary School.
As the first of the 50 new government-owned and operated centres, these centres will be based on or close to school sites and provide hundreds of new places for local families. In this edition, you can read more about how plans for the centres are shaping up, and where to go for all the latest updates.
This edition also provides us with a great opportunity to give an update on how we’re continuing to consult and engage with the sector.
The Best Start, Best Life Taskforce Advisory Group, comprising representative bodies and experts from across the sector, met on Tuesday 18 July 2023 to discuss some of the themes emerging through our consultations with the sector.
Overall, we had strong support for the reforms and we hold a united view on the importance of keeping outcomes for children and their families at the heart of all we do.
Other key themes included advancing Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety, maintaining and lifting quality and prioritising equity and inclusion in the delivery of kindergarten programs.
We also heard a range of ideas and views about issues such how we meet the diverse needs of children and families, how we can grow and value our workforce, how best to support the sector through change and how we can deliver the new and expanded infrastructure that is needed to accommodate the additional hours of Pre-Prep and the continued rollout of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
I thank everyone who has contributed to these discussions – your views are so valuable in shaping how we implement these reforms.
I look forward to continuing to working in partnership with all of our stakeholders as we design and deliver the reforms.
The Education State Forum, held on Tuesday 8 August 2023, was a further chance for representatives from the sector to discuss how we transform early childhood education together. Attendees also enjoyed the opportunity to hear from Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep, Ingrid Stitt, and early childhood education leaders, professionals and experts on how the reforms are tracking, where to next and what supports and resources will be in place to get us there. I look forward to sharing more on the forum in our next edition.
Looking further ahead, we also have our Early Childhood Educators Day celebrations to look forward to. On Wednesday 6 September 2023, we will showcase and highlight the work of the skilled professionals who make up Victoria’s early childhood workforce and take the opportunity to say thanks for the vital role they play in the education and care of Victorian children. In preparation, I encourage you to consider how you will mark this special day, refer to our article for resources and opportunities to celebrate educators in your service.
In closing, I’d like to remind you all expressions of interest to deliver a bilingual kindergarten program next year close on Sunday 13 August 2023. You can apply here: Bilingual Kindergarten expression of the interest application form.
I’m proud to be able to continue working with you this term and beyond on all the things we are doing together to help young children and their families thrive.
Yours sincerely
Kim Little
Deputy Secretary
Early Childhood Education
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