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.