A07: Nebo Branch

Since the introduction of the state delivered kindergarten program, there have been many benefits to rural communities and families. There are, however, real challenges for the educators and support staff juggling the early learning requirements of the kindy cohort, which is largely play based, and the direct learning of the remaining students in P-6 with the curriculum and classroom-based learning. Many of these schools are one-teacher schools, with the principal or teacher being significantly stretched between these varying educational needs. The support staff are similarly stretched and find themselves under resourced and unable to fully meet the learning requirements of all, simultaneously. There are also practical issues when it comes to supervision.

The integration of kindergarten children into the schooling system is unique to rural and remote schools. Many rural schools have slotted the kindergarten students into their existing school environment, but still require upgrades to their facilities, for example, bathroom amenities by way of additional, and lower toilets suitable for the younger children, showers, washing machines, greater ground level or ramp accessibility, and more age-appropriate play resources in the classroom and playgrounds. Many schools have not sought these upgrades as it would be a hit to their budget, that they require elsewhere, and thus carry on with resources they have. We are urging the Department to consider greater funding to all areas of the kindergarten program, to improve schools on all fronts of teaching, learning, and infrastructure resources so that rural and remote schools are under less strain and better able to deliver the kindergarten program, whilst not compromising their obligation to the curriculum to the remainder of the school students.