- Target:
- State Government
- Region:
- Australia
Thank you so very much to each and every one of you who took the time to sign in support of Panton Hill Pre School.
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Dear Community Member,
This letter is intended to inform you of the Kinder’s position following our Family Meeting and our application to secure Rural Funding for the Kinder.
Our application to The Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, Ms Wendy Lovell MLC, along with the Dept of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) for Rural Funding has been denied. We have been advised that the Government cannot provide any additional funding for the Preschool at this time.
The Committee is extremely disappointed with this outcome.
The Shadow Minister for Children and Young Adults, Jenny Mikakos MP has raised this issue in the Victorian Parliament. See http://www.jennymikakos.com.au/media-releases/minister-ignores-pleas-to-help-struggling-panton-hill-kinder/ . We expect this issue to be in the local press this week.
On Sunday 22nd September, the Committee lodged an application for funding in exceptional circumstances so the kinder can continue to be funded with less than twenty 4 years olds attending in 2014.
Our intention is that we will run a combined 3 and 4 year old group in 2014. (This is subject to the DEECD approving the application for Funding in Exceptional Circumstances, and the existing children remaining enrolled).
The Committee of Management has investigated every avenue to keep the kinder open, believing that the closure of the Kinder would have far reaching consequences for the Community as a whole. The implications of closing the Kinder would be likely to see decreased enrolments in our local schools, and in time our local sports clubs and businesses would also be likely to suffer.
We as a community cannot let this happen.
The Kinder needs your support, and the Community needs the Kinder. Please help by signing our petition, contacting Wendy Lovell MLC directly, and asking your friends and family to show their support by sending your children to Panton Hill Preschool and being part of the solution.
Mandy Ritzinger on behalf of
Panton Hill Preschool Committee of Management 2013
Petition –Save Panton Hill Preschool
To the Legislative Assembly of Victoria
This Petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the House the need for increased funds for Panton Hill Preschool.
In particular we note
1. The Panton Hill Preschool services many surrounding rural communities in Nillumbik, some of which are still suffering the effects of the 2009 Victorian bush fires. The preschool is experiencing a major funding shortfall, which is placing its immediate future in jeopardy.
2. The Panton Hill Preschool Committee of Management has urgently requested that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development reclassify the preschool from ‘metropolitan’ to the higher funding category of ‘rural’.
3. The Committee strongly believes that the preschool should fit the criteria of ‘rural’, given that Panton Hill Primary School, located adjacent to the preschool, along with 5 other local state funded schools, all receive the higher ‘rural’ level of funding.
4. Without a funding increase, the preschool will possible close.
The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly of Victoria urges the Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development to reclassify the Panton Hill Preschool from ‘metropolitan’ to ‘rural’, which will allow it to remain financially viable.
The Save Panton Hill Pre School - secure RURAL FUNDING petition to State Government was written by Panton Hill Pre School and is in the category Education at GoPetition.