Parents of children nearing school age can be assured the federal government intends to keep helping out with preschool fees even though it has only given the program yet another one-year extension.
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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg insists the government is committed to the universal access to 15 hours a week of preschool for four-year-olds, after giving it another extension until the end of the 2020 school year in Tuesday night's budget.
The extra year costs $453 million.
"Every single year that we have been in government, we've funded it this way," he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.
"We absolutely are committed to this program."
The government has maintained for at least two years it wants the council of all the nation's education ministers to review the program and look at how best to set it up in a permanent form.
While across the country 90 per cent of four-year-olds are enrolled in a preschool program, the federal government has had persistent concerns about the level of attendance.
Mr Frydenberg says about three in 10 children signed up for preschool programs don't attend.
In regional and indigenous communities, non-attendance can be as high as 45 per cent of children.
"These are the kids who need it the most," he said.
"We need to work with the states, who have primary responsibility for the program, to get better standards in relation to preschool.
"We've asked for the review, we want to sit down with the states, we're committed to funding it going forward."
Labor says the continual rolling over of funding without giving the program any permanency is a "cruel insult" to Australian children.
"This was an opportunity to properly invest in the future of our nation's children - and Scott Morrison failed," opposition early childhood education spokeswoman Amanda Rishworth said.
"This budget is a con for our preschoolers, and the Liberals are trying to pretend they care only to get through the next election."
Labor intends to provide permanent funding for four-year-old preschool and extend the access to a subsidised 15 hours a week to three-year-olds.
The Australian Education Union says two years of early childhood education is fast becoming the global standard, with Australia just one of 11 highly developed nations that doesn't offer this.
Australian Associated Press
