Queensland’s Remote Kindergarten Program will be expanded into 30 more Queensland state schools over the next two years, Education Minister Grace Grace announced today.
"The Palaszczuk Government is committed to supporting kindergarten participation to ensure all children have a great start to learning and life, regardless of where they live across the state," Ms Grace said.
"The Remote Kindergarten Pilot has been very successful in helping achieve this aim, with 239 children across 38 schools benefitting since it began in 2016; so we’ll now transition from a pilot phase into a full, ongoing program from the start of 2019.
"Expanding into 30 more schools will provide much needed access to kindergarten for more than 100 extra children in remote areas that are located more than 50 kilometres from the nearest kindergarten service.
"Existing teachers will deliver the program and we are providing an extra 20 hours per week of teacher aide time to ensure adequate supervision. This extra teacher aide time also gives an important employment boost in our most remote communities which are currently experiencing drought.
"Access to kindergarten helps improve young children’s literacy and numeracy skills, social competence and school readiness, which are all important ingredients in a successful start to education.
"The Remote Kindergarten Program provides an important complement to the Queensland Government’s ekindy program, which involves a combination of online distance education supplemented by parental education at home.
"The 14 hours per week of parental input required for ekindy can be difficult to achieve in circumstances such as drought, where parents are required to put so many hours into keeping farms operating.
"Having a range of flexible options for families is important. We are also developing a long-term Rural and Remote Kindergarten Strategy to build on the gains made so far and explore additional and flexible kindergarten delivery options that are responsive to local community needs," Ms Grace said.
President of the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association, Tammie Irons, said she welcomed not only the expansion of the Remote Kindergarten Program, but the ongoing certainty provided to schools involved in the pilot of the program.
"Face to face education is so important for children living in rural and remote parts of Queensland and the expansion of this program will ensure more kids have access to it," Ms Irons said.
In 2018, 38 remote schools are prescribed to deliver a Remote Kindergarten Program, with 109 children currently participating across 30 schools.
