Victorian schools are embracing a shift to phonics with a recent snapshot showing nine out of 10 government primary schools already using this approach to teach reading, well ahead of the requirement to implement it in classrooms by 2027.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll said Victorian schools had jumped at the chance to introduce the system into schools early, supporting students to achieve stronger reading outcomes.
The Victorian approach to reading, which includes daily systematic synthetic phonics instruction as part of their reading program, is due to fully mandated in Victorian government schools by the start of 2027.
A Department of Education survey shows that 93 per cent of government primary schools have adopted a focus on delivering daily phonics instruction.
There is strong teacher and school engagement with Phonics Plus program. Out of the sampled schools 88 per cent report they have engaged with Phonics Plus and 37 per cent are using the Phonics Plus resources.
There have been almost 16,000 downloads of the Phonics Plus resources and approximately 100,000 website views since its publication in February 2025.
The Year 1 Phonics Check will be piloted in schools through Term 2, 2025, ahead of optional use by schools in Term 3 of this year, with full implementation of the Year 1 Phonics Check mandated in government schools from 2026.
In 2025, a new Year 1 Phonics Check is being introduced to Victorian government primary schools and will become mandatory from 2026. Approximately 80 per cent of schools are choosing to deliver this test one year ahead of schedule in Term 3 this year.
The Year 1 Phonics Check takes about 10 minutes, compared to the current 40 minutes per student, saving teachers approximately 12 hours in assessments.
The Allan Labor Government is also providing $5m of funding to all primary schools to further support teachers transition to the Victorian reading approach. The funding helps schools purchase resources to implement Victoria's reading position, including decodable texts and whiteboards.
The recent sample survey found 64 per cent of schools have plans to use transition funding to purchase resources this year, with this expected to increase as the year progresses.
As stated by Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll
"Thank you to our incredibly hard-working teachers and principals, who have shown nothing but support in our approach to phonics in schools. We're grateful to see such a promising response so early on as we make best practice common practice in every Victorian classroom."
"It's fantastic to see 93 per cent of primary schools delivering daily phonics instructions, despite providing a 2-year transition period - schools are getting on board, and we're excited to see schools embracing change."
