Education Minister Kay Hallahan today urged parents of young children to protest at the Opposition's plans to scuttle the full-time pre-primary program for five-year-olds.
Mrs Hallahan said parents should lodge a complaint on the Opposition's education hotline.
"The Opposition's own costings show a massive shortfall in funds needed to introduce the pre-primary program - it is clear they have no plans to extend it to all five-year-olds," she said.
Mrs Hallahan said the Opposition had allocated only $7.7 million over the next four years for the pre-primary program when about $80 million was needed for capital works and to recruit extra teaching staff.
"Under Labor, all five-year-olds will have access to the full-time pre-primary program by next year - the Liberals have made no such commitment."
Mrs Hallahan said the Liberals had also failed to:
· allocate sufficient funds to pay for its promises for gifted and talented children;
· rule out increases in TAFE fees; and
· guarantee a specific number of new TAFE places.
