Delay to promised early learning trial on Tasmania's Bruny Island has parents feeling 'disenchanted'

A promised early learning program for three-year-olds on Bruny Island is years behind schedule, causing frustration for the island's young families.

Teisha Archer and her family moved to Bruny Island four years ago just as the island's only childcare option closed down.

Her busy working family grew to six when twins arrived, and, with no family support, Ms Archer and her husband have to pay a babysitter when they need help.

So when the Tasmanian government announced in August last year the island, which has a population of almost 1000 people, had been selected as a trial site for the early learning initiative, Ms Archer was over the moon.

"We'd had a number of meetings prior to that, and when that announcement came we all thought it's finally happening.

"Because we'd already gone through focus groups and a planning process, we had an indication that it would be happening last year, probably in fourth term."

The kindergarten would operate at the school and offer a program for three-year-olds to attend 15 hours per week.

For Ms Archer, it would have meant her twins Ada and Anders could have attended next year, making a full cohort of 10 children.

"We all want our kids to socialise and play with other kids and I'm lucky I've got four and they can play with each other," she said.

"But I think there's a challenge for a lot of families that in a rural community your kids can can become isolated pretty quickly."

Community 'disenchantment'

Ms Archer, who is the vice president of the Bruny Island Community Association, said as well as the learning and social aspects, the kindergarten would give parents a break.

She runs her own business at home, and her husband runs their farm and works on other farms across the island.

"For me, there's a really important aspect in getting some support for myself and for my husband," she said.

"It's really about finding a balance for the mental health of the parents in our community and supporting them and their ability to make an income and a living, while also giving the kids the best opportunity to interact with other kids as well."

The community has had eight meetings with department staff and a working group about the initiative since 2022.

Ms Archer said members of the community had dedicated a lot of their time but were starting to step back given the lack of progress.

"There's been quite a bit of disenchantment from the community in participating in the process," she said.

'Significant upgrades' to school needed

The Tasmanian government committed to provide universal access to pre-school for every Tasmanian child in the year before kindergarten, which in 2023 was 5,800 children.

The 2023-24 budget contained $6 million over four years to get it started by establishing trial sites across the state to test different models.

The sites chosen were East Devonport, Rosebery, Flinders Island, the east coast and Bruny Island.

Education Department documents show the trial sites were set to start in 2024, but the department has confirmed the first trial sites won't get underway until next year.

In a statement, it said the proposed site at the Bruny Island District School would need "significant upgrades" to be fit for purpose.

"The Bruny Island community and Bruny Island District School are now reconsidering the original proposal and its alternatives, to ensure that any future capital investment provide maximum benefit for young children, families and the school community," the department said.

The statement said the department was working with the Bruny Island District School and the community to provide "expanded early learning programs in 2025".

'Important promise' broken, say Greens

Tasmanian Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff said the community felt strung along. 

"They've been locked in meetings every two months for the last nearly two years, they've been strung along with promises," Dr Woodruff said.

Dr Woodruff said the community was first promised the service would start last year, and then told it would be 2025.

"It's a horrible display of government not listening to the community and not being genuine about consultation, making promises they renege on.

Education Minister Jo Palmer said she recently visited Bruny Island and met with community members and education leaders to discuss the trial.

"While I am disappointed the EL3 trial has moved slowly, I am aware of the complexities in rolling this program out and the limitations around an appropriate building," Ms Palmer said.

"I will continue to support the collaboration between DECYP [Department of Education, Children and Young People] and the local community in this space and am committed to seeing this program delivered at the beginning of term 1, 2025."