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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 708 asked in the Legislative Council on 18 August 2022 by Hon Donna Faragher

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

PRE-KINDY PROGRAM — WEST BUSSELTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

708. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and Training:

I refer to an article in the Busselton Dunsborough Times titled ''Pre-kindy is on the way, and its free''; dated 22 July 2022, which refers to the proposed introduction of a fully funded preschool development program for three-year-olds at West Busselton Primary School.

(1) Can the minister advise what processes are currently in place within the Department of Education to allow government schools to deliver pre-kindy programs, such as the one proposed to be offered at West Busselton Primary School?

(2) Does the department provide government schools with additional funding to deliver general pre-kindy programs or are they funded from within a school's existing one-line budget?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) Under section 74A of the School Education Act 1999, the minister must approve provision of programs at public schools for children in the early education period. Although the content and implementation of any such program is to be decided by the principal, it is subject to the direction and control of the director general. Schools must submit a proposal to the department to commence the process for ministerial approval.

(2) Public schools fund pre-kindy programs from their existing one-line budgets, unless they are participating in department-endorsed and funded programs, which include KindiLink and child and parent centres.