Tuesday, 20 September 2022

 Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:33): (1974) My question is to the Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep. Minister, the West Hawthorn Preschool in Hawthorn is a much-loved community not-for-profit kindergarten that has been in operation for 75 years. Due to an increase in enrolments it will require the employment of an additional teacher, further adding to the cost of providing the excellent service of this kindergarten. It is approved for having 48 places, but the kinder is being hampered by the government’s plan for free kinder. Hawthorn West kinder currently has two exemplary educators, which are remunerated commensurate with their skills and experience. Retaining these two excellent teachers is made more difficult under the proposed grant of $2500 that is supposed to cover the running costs but does not. They will be ineligible for the grant if they charge fees. So the rollout of free kinder is actually misleading, and it is penalising my community of Southern Metropolitan Region. The parents group would like to meet with the minister, so I ask that the minister meet with the parents group so she can explain why it is not actually free.