Bruny Island has no ECEC, and parents are frustrated with broken promises

In August 2023 parents on Bruny Island –  a 362-square-kilometre island located off the southeastern coast of Tasmania, with a population of around 600 permanent residents – were promised that their community would be one of five in Tasmania to trial kindergarten for three year olds. 

The announcement was a significant one, given that there is no form of early childhood education and care (ECEC) on the island. Parents had high hopes not only of access to care, freeing them up for work opportunities and personal appointments, but also of opportunities for their children to socialise with others, and to participate in early learning. 

Now, In November 2024, they are still no closer to having access to any form of early learning, leaving them frustrated, the ABC reports. 

Behind schedule 

None of the five promised sites have yet to start delivering three year old kindergarten. While Tasmania’s Education Minister Jo Palmer has said she is “committed to seeing this program delivered at the beginning of term 1, 2025,” the delays are impacting parents – like Teisha Archer – in the here and now.

Ms Archer moved with her family to Bruny Island four years ago, just as the only early learning option on the island closed. 

Her family grew from four to six with the arrival of twins, and being on the island means the Archer’s only option for care is to secure the services of a babysitter. When the government announced that Bruny Island would be a trial site, Ms Archer said she was “over the moon.”

“We’d had a number of meetings prior to that, and when that announcement came we all thought it’s finally happening,” she shared.

“Because we’d already gone through focus groups and a planning process, we had an indication that it would be happening last year, probably in the fourth term.”

Parents had gathered data and been strong advocates of the program, which is designed to operate out of the local school, offering three year olds 15 hours a week of free care. 

For Ms Archer, it would have meant that her twins – Ada and Anders – could have attended, along with eight other children. The Archers are a farming family, and Ms Archer also runs her own business. 

“It’s really about finding a balance for the mental health of the parents in our community and supporting them and their ability to make an income and a living, while also giving the kids the best opportunity to interact with other kids as well,” she added. 

Disenchantment at delays 

The community has had eight meetings with department staff and a working group about the initiative since 2022, and while the community had given countless hours to this work, many are starting to step back, disenchanted at the lack of progress. 

“We’re not asking for anything more than the government to deliver on their promise. They raised this, we got excited about it and we absolutely wanted it,” Ms Archer said. 

Commenting on the status of the proposal, a statement shared with the ABC noted that the proposed site at the Bruny Island District School would need “significant upgrades” to be fit for purpose.

“The Bruny Island community and Bruny Island District School are now reconsidering the original proposal and its alternatives, to ensure that any future capital investment provides maximum benefit for young children, families and the school community,” the statement continued.

The Department committed in the statement to working with the Bruny Island District School and the community to provide “expanded early learning programs in 2025”.

Minister Palmer said she recently visited Bruny Island and met with community members and education leaders to discuss the trial.

“While I am disappointed the EL3 trial has moved slowly, I am aware of the complexities in rolling this program out and the limitations around an appropriate building,” Ms Palmer said.

“I will continue to support the collaboration between DECYP [Department of Education, Children and Young People] and the local community in this space and am committed to seeing this program delivered at the beginning of term 1, 2025.”

Access the original coverage of this story here.