Tech upgrades to support Vic roll out of three-year-old kindergarten in 2020

Children in Victoria’s Glenelg Shire will benefit from technology upgrades ahead of three-year-old kindergarten starting next year, with Labor Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney, announcing that four early childhood services in Portland would share $10,500 in funding to purchase tablet computers through the Labor Government’s Children’s Facilities Capital Program (CFCP).

The funding allocated under CFCP of late is significant in that it represents the first time that the CFCP has included funding for facilities offering Three-Year-Old Kinder from next year.

Under the program, grants of up to $50,000 are available for expanding or refurbishing kindergarten facilities, while up to $1,500 is available to purchase laptop, desktop, tablet computers or televisions for use in services.

Recipients as announced by Ms Tierney include:

• Jaycee Kindergarten who received $6,000 
• $1,500 each for Elsa Macleod Kindergarten, Karreeta Peeneeyt Mara Portland Child & Family Complex and Goodstart Early Learning Portland

Victoria will roll out Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2020 in six regional local government areas, with the program to be progressively rolled out across the state in the following years.

By 2022, the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program will roll out statewide, with children to have access to at least five hours of kindergarten per week.

Ms Tierney said she was “delighted” that Portland kindergartens will receive funding to upgrade their IT equipment.

Further information about the CFCP funding can be found here, alongside information about the broader roll out of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, here.