Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tucked away on a quiet, tree-lined street is a place ringing with the laughter of children that screams joy from the moment you step through the gate. Ewing Kindergarten is a place where children learn through play. Arresting are the massive Indigenous murals which, thanks to a Higgins volunteer grant, surround an old tree at the centre of the playground. One could almost imagine that this was a focal point for storytelling amongst the ancient Wurundjeri once upon a time.

A welcome to country I recently attended had children enthralled as Uncle Ian brought dingoes, kangaroos and kookaburras to life through the didgeridoo, then showed us his family tree. The children absorbed it all. Guided by the watchful eyes of their educators and parents, children learn respect for self and for others and caring for country—lessons that are foundational to their life's journey. Their educators, as social engineers, help children discover their talents in music, art, storytelling and story making. The parent led council has invested in sustainability initiatives and is continually seeking to reduce the centre's carbon footprint.

Parents, educators and support staff take great pride in providing high-quality child-centred care, reaffirming the merits of community led centres. In the way the grown-ups wrap their arms around this centre, we as a society need to ring-fence these islands of excellence. That siblings of the children have passed through Ewing Kindy is a resounding endorsement of its place as an asset to our community.