Foreground Architecture, Clarke Hopkins Clarke and Baldasso Cortese have been appointed by the Victorian government to design nine new kindergartens in a bid to increase family access to early childhood education.

The early learning centres are set to open in 2025, with Foreground Architecture appointed for the design of kindergartens at Mildura South Primary School, Kerang South Primary School and Echuca Primary School; Clarke Hopkins Clarke Architects for Wallan Secondary College, Broadmeadows Valley Primary School and Thornbury High School kindergartens and Baldasso Cortese for Devon Meadows Primary School, Wonthaggi North Primary School and Tootgarook Primary School kindergartens.

The facilities will be designed in consultation with the schools, local communities and councils. Early childhood minister Ingrid Stitt said the kindergartens will be built either on or near the site of an existing school, as a means to provide pupils with a smoother transition to school and provide parents with a more convenient single drop-off location.

"Building these new kinders is about delivering modern, tailored early learning facilities to local families across Victoria - so that every child gets the best start in life. We're ditching the double drop-off - giving every child access to an outstanding education close to home while saving families time and money," Stitt said.

The development of the nine kindergartens is part of the Victorian government's Best Start, Best Life reform, which has committed to ensuring every new primary school introduced since 2021 has a kinder located on-site or next door.

Source: TourismAfrica2006