By Laura Michell
A year of kindergarten could be condensed into three terms at Bundoora’s McLeans Road Kindergarten to pave the way for a redevelopment.
Whittlesea council originally planned to close the kindergarten for 2020 and 2021 to upgrade the centre to help it meet growing need for kindergarten places in the area.
There are currently 44 four-year-olds and 30 three-year-olds enrolled at the centre, while a further 34 four-year-olds are enrolled for
2020.
The closure would mean the children would need to attend other kindergartens.
A petition signed by 208 people was presented to the council in April, asking the council to delay the work until 2021 to allow the current three-year-old kinder group to complete its kinder education at the centre.
But at a meeting on June 4, the council agreed to ask the Department of Education and Training for permission for kinder programs to be delivered over three terms next year at McLeans Road.
That would mean the four-year-old kinder program would run for 20 hours a week for three terms, instead of 15 hours a week for four terms.
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Cr Sam Alessi said the arrangement would give the council 15 months to complete the redevelopment.
“Children will still get their allocated hours of pre-school but over a shorter time,” he said.
Cr Alessi said the redevelopment, which will add a second kinder room and double the centre’s capacity, was sorely needed.
“The demographic is changing in that part of Bundoora and the kinder is needing to accommodate more children,” he said.
