New Kinders, New Schools And Upgrades For Victorian Kids
A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will deliver new and upgraded schools and help more families avoid the dreaded double drop-off by building more kinders on-site, with a school and kinder package worth nearly $1.6 billion for our Education State.
Since coming to government, we’ve worked hard to build and upgrade schools in every corner of our state. We’ve invested more than $12.8 billion to improve classrooms, upgrade facilities and build new schools.
When Matthew Guy’s Liberals were last in government, they cut more than $1 billion from our education system – including slashing the Education Maintenance Allowance, cutting funding for speech pathologists, psychologists and social workers in schools and failing to invest in the new schools our growing state needed.
And when Jeff Kennett was in charge, the Liberals closed more than 350 schools – that's almost a school a day for a year. We’ve worked hard to turn that around, making Victoria the Education State.
Even the best teachers can’t deliver a first-rate education in a second-rate classroom, so we’ve delivered more than 1,850 school upgrades. And in delivering new and improved facilities, we’ve supported more than 17,400 jobs in construction.
A re-elected Labor Government will keep delivering school upgrades by investing up to $850 million to fund works at least 89 primary and secondary schools.
More than 25 per cent of the total spend will be in regional Victoria – making sure families have access to a great local school, no matter where they live.
We’ll keep delivering better classrooms – but we need to build new ones, too. Over the next 20 years, we need to accommodate nearly 100,000 more students – particularly in new growing suburbs.
In Melbourne’s western suburbs alone, there are four classrooms’ worth of children being born every week.
We promised to build 100 new schools by 2026 – today, we’re announcing $25 million in planning funding to deliver the remaining 25 schools to reach our target.
This investment will get work started on:
Six new primary schools and two secondary schools for the south-eastern suburbs
Three new primary schools, one prep to year nine school, a secondary school and a specialist school for the west
Five primary schools, a secondary school and a specialist school for the north
A new primary school at Fishermans Bend in the CBD
Two new primary schools near Geelong
A new primary school at Leneva, near Wodonga
These new schools respond to the demographic needs of local communities, catering to population growth in primary or secondary age groups.
This package won’t just create new schools to meet the demands of growing suburbs, it will also support thousands of construction jobs.
Under Labor, early childhood education is set for an enormous transformation.
We’re rolling out Free Kinder for every three and four-year-old child in our state – saving families up to $2,500 a year on fees, per child. Free Kinder will ease pressure on family budgets and make it easier for more parents – particularly mums – to return to the workforce.
Over the course of a decade, we’re transitioning four-year-old kinder from 15 hours a week to a new universal 30 hours per week program of Pre-Prep.
This extra year of play-based learning will make sure Victorian kids are ready for school.
We’re starting up 50 new government-owned childcare centres in the areas where they’re needed most, ensuring families can access the childcare they need. And because the centres are government-run, they’ll be low fee – saving families money.
As part of our $9 billion Best Start Best Life package, a re-elected Andrews Labor Government will deliver $705 million to build and expand around 180 government-owned kinders. Wherever possible, new kinders will be built alongside schools – so that families can avoid the dreaded double drop-off.
The Andrews Labor Government is also investing an extra $19 million in programs to attract and retain teachers, helping government schools address workforce pressures and demand with targeted support.
This will include a streamlined graduate program to centrally attract an extra 400 graduate teachers to work in schools with hard-to-staff positions, a program to attract an extra 400 experienced teachers back into the workforce and a migration support service to help principals recruit international teachers for their schools.
An extra 250 graduates will be supported with a one-year program of induction and mentoring support in 2023 as part of the nation-leading $73.4 million Career Start Pilot. This builds on the support that is currently being provided to the 700 graduates participating in the Pilot.
This funding comes on top of the $779 million invested in the Victorian Budget 2022/23 to recruit 1,900 extra teachers.
With 90 per cent of a child’s brain developing before the age of five, early education has a profound effect on the way children develop.
Labor is doing what matters – building new schools, upgrading facilities and delivering better kinders so all Victorians have the best start in life.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“We want every Victorian child to have the best start in life – but you can’t get a first-rate education in a second-rate classroom. That’s why we’re delivering great local schools for every Victorian family.”
“Labor is doing what matters – we’re delivering more kinders alongside schools so parents can avoid the double drop-off, making life a bit easier for families.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins
“We’re proud of our record in building and upgrading schools in every corner of our state – and if we’re re-elected, we’ll keep working hard to make sure every family has access to a great local school.”
“You can’t trust Matthew Guy’s Liberals when it comes to our schools – when they were last in government, they cut $1 billion from our education system, and Victorian families paid the price.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt
“A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will deliver new educational toys and equipment for every single kinder in our state – making sure our littlest Victorians have the very best start in life.”
“Labor is doing what matters – we’re investing $9 billion over a decade to deliver early education and care that actually works for Victorian families. Through free kinder, new state-run childcare centres, our transition to Pre-Prep and grants to every kinder in our state we’re making sure every child has every chance.”
Schools to Receive Upgrades
Aldercourt Primary School
Altona Primary School
Bayswater South Primary School
Belmont High School
Bethel Primary School
Broadford Primary School
Camberwell Primary School
Camp Hill Primary School
Carlton North Primary School
Carrington Primary School
Cheltenham Secondary College
Clayton South Primary
Cobden Technical School
Coburg High School
Colac West Primary School
Collingwood College
Cranbourne East Secondary College
Cranbourne Park Primary
Cranbourne Secondary College
Drouin Secondary College
Eastbourne Primary School
Edenhope College
Eildon Primary School
Eltham High School
Emerald Secondary College
Essendon Primary School
Fitzroy Primary School
Fleetwood Primary School
Footscray West Primary School
Gardenvale Primary School
Geelong East Primary School
Gisborne Secondary College
Gladstone Park Secondary College
Hallam Secondary College
Hampton Primary School
Heathmont East Primary School
Heidelberg Primary School
Huntly Primary School
John Fawkner Secondary College
Kent Park Primary School
Keysborough Gardens Primary School
Koonung Secondary College
Kurunjang Secondary College
Lakes Entrance Primary School
Leongatha Secondary College
Lismore Primary School
Lyndhurst Secondary College
Mahogany Rise Primary School
Manorvale Primary School
McKinnon Primary School
Melba Secondary College
Melton South Primary School
Middle Park Primary School
Moe Primary School
Mordialloc College
Mount Eliza North Primary School
Mount Waverley Primary School
Mt Duneed Primary School
Mt Erin Secondary College
Mulgrave Primary School
Mullauna Secondary College
Orchard Grove Primary School
Overport Primary School
Paynesville Primary School
Pinewood Primary School
Preston Primary School
Rangebank Primary School
Rye Primary School
Seaford North Primary School
Stawell West Primary School
Swan Hill North Primary School
Sydenham Hillside Primary School
Tallangatta Primary School
Thornbury Primary
Toolern Vale Primary School
University Park Primary School
Wallington Primary School
Wandong Primary School Upgrade
Wangaratta High School
Western Heights College
White Hills Primary School
Whittlesea Secondary College
Wonthaggi Primary School
Woodmans Hill Secondary College
Five more schools to be announced.
25 New Schools
Casey Central Primary School
Pakenham North West Primary School
Clyde Creek North Primary School
Clyde Creek North Secondary School
Ballarto Road Primary School
Clyde North Primary School
Clyde North Secondary School
Thompsons West Primary School
Plumpton Primary School
Tarneit Plains Primary School
Toolern Waters Primary School
Point Cook South prep to nine
Point Cook South Specialist School
Cobblebank Secondary School
Wallan East Primary School
Wollert Central Primary School
Riverdale North Primary School
Mickleham South Primary School
Wollert Andrews Road Primary School
Lockerbie Secondary School
Lockerbie Specialist School
Fishermans Bend Primary School
Warralily Park Primary School
Horseshoe Bend Primary School
Leneva Primary School School