Government surpasses kindy target

The Bligh Government surpassed its target of 65 per cent participation in kindergarten by the end of 2011, Minister for Education and Industry Relations Cameron Dick said today.

Mr Dick said a strategy to fund approved kindergarten services and long day care centres had been a huge success and the government was on track to achieve its goal of universal kindergarten access for Queensland children by 2014.

"By the end of 2011, we had achieved 69 per cent participation - 4 per cent ahead of our goal of 65 per cent," he said.

"We did this by opening new kindergarten services and creating an additional 21,500 places in long day care services.

"The better than expected take-up through accredited kindy programs in long day care services means we don't need to provide as many new or stand alone kindergartens as we had originally estimated.

"That has resulted in an estimated saving of $100 million, as detailed in the Mid-Year Review, that we wi ll reinvest in providing quality early childhood education and care services.

"We will have the same number of places for children in approved services that we will need to achieve universal access, and we will hit our target by 2014.

"What we are doing is sending the money where mums and dads are sending their kids.

"This is a great result for families."

Premier Anna Bligh today announced how we would redirect funds to families - revealing a $23 million-a-year policy to provide low or no-cost kindergarten education for up to 13,000 children of low income families.

"We know one of the principal hurdles to accessing kindy is affordability. These increased subsidies will help families give their kids a flying start to education and learning," Mr Dick said.

Mr Dick rejected LNP claims the government had backflipped on its kindy policy.

"How can a $100m saving that we are reinvesting in helping Queensland families send thei r kids to kindy and the services to provide better outcomes for children be a backflip?" he said.

"I call that a win, win - for families and for services."

Mr Dick said the government would not build new kindies where they were not needed, and when there was no demand.

"We anticipate we will need to provide only 45 more kindies in addition to the 121 already planned by the end of 2013 to achieve our universal access target by 2014.

"We will not build kindies that are not required. That would put pressure on existing services and threaten their viability.

"However, we will fund significantly more kindergarten places in long day care, because that's where working parents are sending their children."

Mr Dick said the government would be making further announcements on supporting kindergartens in the near future.

Education and Industrial Relations
The Honourable Cameron Dick
17/01/2012
Government surpasses kindy target

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Publish Date: 18 Jan 12

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