General News

Policy

Practice

French language program showcased in Brunswick West Ministerial visit

Freya Lucas

May 08, 2019

Save

Children who have been participating in weekly French language sessions at Dunstan Reserve Child Care Centre since the beginning of the year had the opportunity to show off their skills yesterday, when visited by Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino.

Mr Merlino visited the centre to see its French language program in action, with the Dunstan Reserve educators working to embed French language in the kindergarten program through art, music, sport and other lessons.

The Dunstan Reserve centre is one of eleven in Victoria delivering a French language program in 2019, as part of the Victorian Labor Government’s $17.9 million Early Childhood Language Program.

Approximately 160 kindergarten services across Victoria have received funding to deliver language programs in 2019, meaning children are receiving instruction in a language other than English at no additional cost to families.

Under the Early Childhood Language Program, weekly language sessions of up to three hours will be delivered in 150 centres running kindergarten programs, with a further ten sites running bilingual programs, where children benefit from an immersive language experience, with half of their daily program delivered in a language other than English.

The Victorian Government estimates that the program will reach more than 5,000 children, and provide exposure to a number of languages other than English, including Mandarin, Punjabi, Arabic, Italian, French, Spanish, Auslan and Aboriginal languages.

Mr Merlino said that exposure to additional language learning would support Victoria’s children to “prepare for life in a more connected world” and that learning in a language other than English has “fantastic rewards for young children - improving brain function as well as helping them to read and write in English”.

More information about the Early Childhood Language Program is available here.

Don’t miss a thing

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

More than 100 regulatory officers conducted unannounced inspections at over 220 early learning services in a single-day compliance operation, as the NSW Early Learning Commission intensifies oversight across the sector.

Failing the Most Vulnerable: Two WA Childcare Providers Penalised Over Supervision Breaches

In February the Western Australian State Administrative Tribunal handled two separate disciplinary proceedings brought by the CEO of the Department of Communities against out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) providers. Both cases highlight critical failures in active supervision, particularly concerning highly vulnerable children diagnosed with autism who managed to wander away from their respective services unnoticed.

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Water safety remains at the forefront of national concern, as drowning continues to be the leading cause of accidental death for children aged 0-4.

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

The journey to embed ecological identity is a personal one, as identity sits close to one’s heart and is shaped from our own foundational years. For myself, it was founded in warm summer afternoons playing in the rockpools along the beaches in Sydney, discovering the names of all the little creatures that lurked there, including the starfish that suctioned to my curious fingertips.

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares.

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

Failing the Most Vulnerable: Two WA Childcare Providers Penalised Over Supervision Breaches

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Water safety remains at the forefront of national concern, as drowning continues to be the leading cause of accidental death for children aged 0-4.

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares.

Don’t miss a thing

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

Failing the Most Vulnerable: Two WA Childcare Providers Penalised Over Supervision Breaches

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

Exploring the Junior Landcare 2026 calendar: a year of environmental learning for early years

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

Burnout in early childhood education: Why leadership support is the missing lever

2026 anaphylaxis action plan updates and what they mean for early childhood leaders

Fiona Alston

Feb 18, 2026

French language program showcased in Brunswick West Ministerial visit

Children who have been participating in weekly French language sessions at Dunstan Reserve Child Care Centre since the beginning of the year had the opportunity to show off their skills yesterday, when visited by Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino.

Don’t miss a thing

Related Articles

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

Failing the Most Vulnerable: Two WA Childcare Providers Penalised Over Supervision Breaches

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

Related Articles

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

Failing the Most Vulnerable: Two WA Childcare Providers Penalised Over Supervision Breaches

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

Don’t miss a thing

Related Articles

Loading...

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

Failing the Most Vulnerable: Two WA Childcare Providers Penalised Over Supervision Breaches

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

Exploring the Junior Landcare 2026 calendar: a year of environmental learning for early years

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

Burnout in early childhood education: Why leadership support is the missing lever

2026 anaphylaxis action plan updates and what they mean for early childhood leaders

Keep Exploring