Minister for Education Jason Clare and Minister for Early Childhood Education Anne Aly welcomed today’s commitment by the NSW and Victorian Governments to preschool education.

This follows the Albanese Government’s major commitment to cheaper childcare that will benefit 1.26 million families.

This commitment confirms what we have been saying for a long time.

Investment in early childhood education isn’t welfare. It’s critical economic reform.

If early childhood education is more affordable and universal the impact for our children, for parents and the whole country will be enormous.

Children will be better prepared for school, parents will be able get back to work and our whole economy will be stronger and more productive.

Today’s announcement builds on work started by Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard 15 years ago when they contributed to funding the national partnership on Early Childhood Education, for a minimum entitlement of 15 hours of quality preschool per week for all children.

In 2008 only 12 per cent of 4-year-old children were enrolled for 15 hours a week of preschool. Now it’s 96 per cent.

This is the next important step and we look forward to working with the NSW and Victorian Governments on its implementation.