Out-of-school hours care in pre-schools to be trialled from next year in South Australia
Out of school hours care in South Australia's pre-schools will be trialled from next year, as part of the state government's response to the Royal Commission. Adelaide's outer northern and southern suburbs, plus regional South Australia, will be focus of the try-out.
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00:00 Getting the early learning ducks lined up.
00:07 Education Minister Blair Boyer in full voice.
00:12 To expand out of school hours care into government preschools.
00:16 Those 9 o'clock start and 3pm finish traditional times that we still have aren't really fit
00:23 for purpose for a modern family anymore.
00:26 It stems from recommendations from the Royal Commission delivered by former Prime Minister
00:30 Julia Gillard.
00:31 $1.7 million has been allocated for the year long trial.
00:35 20 preschools around the state will be chosen with a focus on areas of higher levels of
00:40 disadvantage like in Adelaide's north.
00:43 It will also allow us to connect into those other services to support children with early
00:48 intervention and be able to access those services that they might not know about.
00:54 Parents are open to the broader reforms proposed in the report which includes offering preschool
00:59 for 3 year olds.
01:00 I think it's important that all kids get access to education as early as possible.
01:05 It just kind of develops that sense of confidence in the kid and just makes it, you know, get
01:11 them into the routine.
01:13 Specialists in early childhood education say families could benefit from the improved flexibility.
01:19 There's a real recognition of the fact that early childhood education and care is essentially
01:25 recognised as a backbone of the early childhood system.
01:30 Questions remain about training the workers needed for the overhaul.
01:34 One of the recommendations is that we have 3 year teaching degrees for 0-5 staff rather
01:40 than the current 4 year 0-8 staff.
01:43 But it's a move that would bring SA into line with the rest of the country.
01:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]