Amelia Fithall hands a petition calling for statewide preschool reforms to Cranbourne MP Jude Perera.By Alison Noonan
FRUSTRATED Cranbourne parents joined forces last week in protest against what they claim are serious flaws in the state’s preschool education system.
Parents and teachers from across the Cranbourne electorate gathered at Langwarrin Preschool on Friday to lobby the State Government for urgent, statewide preschool reform.
They say the government is failing to provide affordable, quality preschool education by refusing to recognise preschools as educational facilities.
A petition requesting the government transfer responsibility for preschools from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Education and Training was presented to Cranbourne MP Jude Perera at Friday’s meeting.
President Langwarrin Preschool Annette Vine said a change to the DET would improve the pay and working conditions for teachers, decrease the workload of parent volunteers and reduce fees to make preschool education affordable for all children.
“Too many teachers are leaving preschools frustrated by their working conditions and many parents face real pressure undertaking the administration, management and fundraising tasks required to keep preschools operating.
“More than 8000 Victorian children miss out on a preschool education each year because their parents can’t afford the fees,” she said.
Ms Vine said Victoria was no longer a leader in innovation and excellence, now trailing other states because of the government’s failure to see preschool as education.
“We want preschool education to be recognised by the government as the first step in every child’s education.
“The government can solve the current problems by moving preschools to the responsibility of the DET.
“To date the government’s only solution is to push for preschools to be lumped together under cluster managers. This is just a bandaid for a system in need of structural reform,” she said.
Treasurer of Rangebank Preschool at Cranbourne, Jacqui Symonds, said she fully supported a move from DHS to DET to improve teacher security and availability.
“It would certainly serve the purposes of preschools better and help solve the teacher shortage.
“What many people aren’t aware of is that preschool teachers share the same qualifications as early primary teachers but are not financially recognised as such.
“That is why a high percentage of new graduates choose to go into primary teaching instead,” she said.
Ms Symonds claimed it was almost impossible to find relief staff if a permanent teacher became sick, forcing many schools to temporarily shut down.
“We had to close on one occasion this year because of a lack of available teachers,” she said.
Mr Perera said the state government had increased kindergarten funding by 78 per cent since coming to office in 1999, resulting in a 26 per cent salary increase for preschool teachers.
He said kindergarten cluster management was also being implemented to increase opportunities for full time employment for staff.
“Cluster management groups kindergartens together under one employer thereby providing a consistent employer and cohesive employment conditions for kindergarten staff and more coordinated opportunities for staff training and professional development.
“Cluster management also facilitates increased staff and community networking for kindergarten teachers and allows for mentoring and coaching support for graduate teachers,” he said.
A spokesman for Education and Training Minister Lynne Kosky said there were no plans to move the responsibility of preschools from DHS to DET.
“The current system will stay. Preschool means just that. Pre school,” he said.
