Australia

PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

Australian children begin school before the compulsory school age and many attend preschool centres within the school system. Preschool centres generally enroll four-year-old children and provide 2-3 hour sessions for two groups of children each day. Most children attend 3 sessions a week, but some children in country areas attend only one. In all states except Victoria, departments of education have some responsibility for preschool education and there is a trend towards government involvement throughout Australia.

Day-care centres, which care for babies as well as for children of preschool age, are available in capital cities and larger towns.

They are operated on a commercial basis or run by parents, local government bodies and community groups, usually as nonprofit-making organizations. Day-care centres must be licensed by appropriate government authorities.

The Federal Government provides financial grants for a comprehensive range of services throughout Australia. Grants have been paid to expand and subsidize preschool education, primarily for for-year-old children, daycare, playgrounds and tertiary institutions training teachers and other staff required by the expanded services.

Kindergarten of the Air provides classroom experience by two-way radio for children in the outback, even though they remain physically in their own homes.

Government-run preschools provide a year of preschool education for all four-year-old children for the period of 12 months immediately before their entry into primary schools. Depending on parents' income a small service charge may be made in addition to voluntary contribution. Children's names can go on a waiting list at their local preschool when they turn three. Preschools are conducted in specially designed buildings, run by qualified staff and benefit from active involvement of parents.

(From "Australia and New Zealand in brief" by V.V. Oshchepkova)