By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
“MY SON wasn’t even born when other Casey families were filling out the council’s kindergarten enrolment form – so due to their first in, best dressed system I had basically no chance of getting my first preference.”
Set on sending her son Alexander to their local preschool in Pearcedale, first-time kinder mum Kylie Matz was shocked at the Casey Council’s kindergarten enrolment process, labelling it illogical and unfair.
And she has called for residential zoning restrictions be placed on the growing area’s kindergartens.
“ ‘Sorry, your baby was born too late’ is shocking and it needs to be looked at, locals should have access to their local kinder,” she said.
Under the council’s current structure families have to submit an enrolment form ‘any time after the birth of their child’ with their top three kindergarten preferences within the City of Casey.
The cut-off date for 2016 enrolments was from 1 May 2011 to 30 April 2012, but for Ms Matz who gave birth to Alexander in February 2012 it meant an unfair disadvantage.
Nine months’ worth of enrolments had already taken place before Ms Matz had given birth.
Virginia Lloyd from the City of Casey advised that the Pearcedale Pre-School Centre had 118 children on the waiting list for the 2016 year with only 45 places available – which meant 73 families missed out.
A Pearcedale resident of eight years, Ms Matz and her husband Andrew were devastated to hear their local kindergarten, three minutes down the road from their home, was unattainable.
And it was one phone call that put them on the right track.
“I called the Casey Council because we hadn’t heard anything six months out from starting at a kinder and the lady gave me an inkling that the likelihood of getting in at Pearcedale Pre-School Centre was slim.
“So I started looking, but if she hadn’t given me that inkling I would have been waiting for their letter, which wouldn’t have given me much time to search for another kinder if I didn’t like the second option,” Ms Matz said.
Now driving 22 minutes down the road to a more expensive private kindergarten, after turning down her second preference in the City of Casey, Ms Matz said people living within certain vicinities should get priority over those living further rout.
“Anyone living in Casey can apply for a kindergarten in Pearcedale which means locals who may have been hoping on walking down the road to kinder miss out,” she said.
“It’s a no-brainer that locals should have access to their local kinder, it’s a financial burden for some families who may not be able to afford another kinder further away.
“And I’d like to see council do something about it because Pearcedale is tiny – it shocked me when I couldn’t get a place.”
Ms Matz has spoken to her local councillor, Geoff Ablett, and is writing to the City of Casey.
Cr Ablett has assured her he will take directions from residents.
“Pearcedale desperately needs another kindergarten,” he said.
“It has grown exponentially and it needs to accommodate the numbers.”
