Bamaga and Injinoo children will now be able to attend kindy full-time as part of the State Delivered Kindergarten program. Photo: Northern Peninsula Area State College.
Bamaga and Injinoo families now have access to a free, full-time kindergarten at the Northern Peninsula Area State College (NPASC), ensuring a strong start for community children.
The NPASC’s Bamaga Junior Campus and Ama Mary Eseli Injinoo Junior Campus opened their kindies for five days a week from the beginning of the school year as part of the Queensland Government’s State Delivered Kindergarten (SDK) program.
Previously, the kindergartens were only operating five days a fortnight.
NPASC principal Andrea Killen said the SDK opportunity was one of her top priorities since taking on her role in November.
While there was only one Injinoo cohort, two alternated to use one classroom in Bamaga, meaning a second kindergarten-compliant classroom was needed to offer the service 30 hours a week.
“It looked like it might be quite some time before we were in a position for a new building, so I thought that might be the end of that opportunity for us because we just didn’t have the facilities,” she said.
“Through talking to people in the State Delivered Kindy space, I started thinking about what we could do. It’s not great for our community not to have access to a full-time service because of lack of facilities.”
The solution: an upgrade of a prep classroom at the school to meet the requirements of a kindergarten facility, which is now being used as a combined space.
Bamaga Junior Campus head of campus Helen Chivers said enrolments were growing quickly as residents came to know about the service.
“We’re able to ensure we’re creating a connection between kindy and prep. The kids feel more at ease when they start school the following year,” she said.
“The community has been really positive; parents are grateful to have their children in childcare that is cost effective for their family.
“We’re excited by this opportunity to offer a great start for all our students and that strong foundation going into school for the years ahead.”
SDK programs are delivered in prescribed state schools located at least 40 kilometres by road from the nearest approved kindergarten in selected, discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities or other selected communities where there have been barriers to accessing kindergarten.
“Extending free kindergarten hours for four-year-olds in discrete communities from 15 hours up to 30 hours per week is one of the investments to support the individual learning and wellbeing needs of the kindergarten children in those communities,” a Department of Education spokesperson said.
“In Term 1, 2026, six additional SDKs in Far North Queensland schools will join 20 other SDK schools in delivering kindergarten for more than 15 hours per week.”
