The department is providing an opportunity for 10 Victorian early childhood services to join the Early Childhood Language Program and be funded to deliver a bilingual kindergarten program from Term 1, 2024.
The program allows participating funded kindergartens to employ a suitably qualified language teacher to deliver part of their 4-year-old kindergarten program in another language, at no additional cost to parents.
Expressions of interest, through an application form, are open until Sunday 13 August 2023. The department will let all applicants know the outcome of their application in early Term 4, 2023.
Register for an information session
The department is hosting 2 information sessions for services to:
- learn more about the bilingual kindergarten program and what is on offer
- understand the expression of interest application process
- decide if your early childhood service is ready to deliver a bilingual kindergarten program.
Register for an online information session by using the links below:
- Session 1: Tuesday 18 July 2023, from 4 pm to 5 pm
- Session 2: Thursday 27 July 2023, from 4 pm to 5 pm.
Program funding and other details
The 10 successful services will receive funding to employ an above-ratio language teacher to deliver 12 hours of their 15-hour kindergarten program in a language other than English.
Services can decide the language they deliver, as well as the days and times of their bilingual kindergarten program.
Funding to deliver a bilingual kindergarten program to children in 3-year-old kindergarten programs is not available unless the service delivers mixed sessions, with both 3-year-old and 4-year-old children in one session.
Funding is only available for early childhood services with up to 4 groups (allowing 12 hours of contact time and 6 hours of non-contact time with each group). In an integrated kindergarten program, language teachers might work across multiple days.
Early childhood services that apply must be willing to deliver a bilingual kindergarten program to all of their 4-year-old children.
Find out more
For more information, refer to the Early Childhood Language Program.
For further enquiries, contact the department by email: ec.languages@education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)
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