Three ‘demonstration sites’ announced for new kindy program education overhaul

The state government has announced it is overhauling early education in SA. Now, it’s revealing the first places that three-year-olds will be able to attend kindy in Adelaide.

An early childhood education reform that includes kindy for three-year-olds will roll out at three metropolitan government preschools from 2026.

The state government announced on Monday the new educational model would be offered at Ocean View College Children’s Centre in Taperoo, Brentwood Drive Kindergarten in Huntfield Heights and Riverbanks College Preschool in Angle Vale as “demonstration sites” for the three-year-old preschool program.

These preschools would play a “critical” role in informing and shaping the broader preschool rollout for the next year in an attempt to curb vulnerable development for South Australian children, according to the government release.

An early childhood education reform that includes kindy for three-year-olds will roll out in three metropolitan government preschools from 2026.

A geographical rollout schedule will follow for the remaining government and sessional preschools over a five-year span.

Regional and rural areas will begin in 2026 and 2027, followed by greater Adelaide in 2028 and metro Adelaide in 2029 and 2030.

Universal preschool programs in long day care, early learning centres, sessional and government preschools would be offered to every three-year old from as early as 2032, regardless of location or setting.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said this would be SA’s largest reform to education in decades.

“We are committed to making South Australia a nation leader in early childhood education – this starts with the rollout of quality three-year-old preschool across the state,” he said.

Education, training and skills Minister Blair Boyer said the insights gained from the three preschools would be “pivotal” in shaping how the government delivers early childhood education for three-year olds.

“We want as many children as possible to have access to three-year-old preschool as quickly as possible, while not compromising on quality, evidence and service to families,” Mr Boyer said.

This year has been significant for SA early childhood reforms, which includes the launch of a preschool OSHC program, a $96.6 million investment in early childhood teachers and a legislation introduction to improve outcomes for children.