Focus areas
To lift outcomes for all children and young people, we will focus on:
- Expanding early learning: providing more hours of free, quality early learning for all children.
- Excellence in learning: supporting schools and services to achieve better learning outcomes for children and young people.
- Strengthening safety, wellbeing and engagement: having the right supports and services in place to meet the needs of each child and young person, including keeping them safe from harm.
- Prioritising self-determination and strengthening cultural safety: Improving learning and wellbeing outcomes for First Nations children and young people and supporting community control and choice.
- Addressing disadvantage and vulnerability: enabling children and young people experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability to get the full benefit of education.
- Strengthening our teaching and education workforce: growing and supporting our education and care workforces and supporting best practice in teaching.
Foundations
To be successful our priorities will be:
- Our people: supporting a strong culture of integrity, inclusion and high performance.
- Strong systems: ensuring we have the right systems and business processes in place.
- Stewardship: actively ensuring our sectors deliver outcomes, through our state-owned schools and services and by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across education and early childhood sectors.
- Physical infrastructure: building and partnering to create and maintain contemporary, safe, and sustainable spaces.
- Partnerships and engagement: building strong and effective partnerships across and with our sectors, families and carers.
- Resilience, mitigation and adaptation to climate change: doing our bit to address climate change and ensuring continuity of learning in the event of natural disasters and emergency events.
Focus areas (initiatives)
Expanding early learning
Providing more hours of free, quality early learning for all children.
Strategic Plan Initiatives
1.1 Three-Year-Old Kindergarten: Continue to roll out kindergarten programs for 3-year-olds across the state, growing to 15 hours by 2029.
1.2 Pre-Prep: Transition Four-Year-Old Kindergarten to ‘Pre-Prep’, increasing to a universal 30-hours a week program of play-based learning for every 4-year-old child in Victoria.
1.3 New early learning centres: Establish 50 Victorian government-owned and operated early learning centres, in areas of greatest need.
Excellence in learning
Supporting schools and services to achieve better learning outcomes for children and young people
Strategic Plan Initiatives
2.1 Best kindergartens for Victorian kids: Provide grants for kindergartens to procure new or improved toys and equipment, Bush Kinder programs, toy libraries and expansion of bilingual kindergartens.
2.2 Early years assessment and learning tool: Provide teachers and co-educators with a new online observation-based tool that supports assessment of children’s strengths, interests and abilities.
2.3 Intensive school support: Deliver intensive and tailored support to schools facing challenging and complex circumstances to ensure there is consistently strong practice across the government school system.
2.4 Lifting student attainment – Excellence in mathematics education: Support the implementation of Victoria’s new mathematics position, strengthening mathematics teaching in government schools and improving numeracy outcomes.
2.5 Lifting student attainment – Excellence in reading: Support the implementation of Victoria’s new reading position, strengthening evidence-based reading instruction in government schools and improving literacy outcomes.
2.6 Lifting student attainment – Lesson plans: Develop high-quality, sequenced lesson plans in priority curriculum areas to reduce administrative burden and ease workload pressure for teachers.
2.7 Lifting student attainment – VTLM 2.0: Implement the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0.
2.8 Lifting student attainment – Small group learning support: Provide small group learning support to students who are behind their age-expected literacy and numeracy standard.
2.9 Lifting student attainment – Student Excellence Program: Support high-ability students.
2.10 New Tech Schools: Build 6 new Tech Schools to provide free hands-on and immersive science, technology, engineering and maths learning experiences to more than 62,000 secondary school students.
2.11 Senior Secondary Pathways Reform: Integrate the VCE Vocational Major and the Victorian Pathway Certificate, make high-quality vocational education and training (VET) accessible to all Victorian students, develop pathways for students to engage with emerging industries and a consistent model for the effective delivery of meaningful vocational and applied learning pathways in all secondary schools.
2.12. Strengthen student engagement and achievement in early secondary school: Identify opportunities to invigorate Years 7 to 9 to foster early secondary student engagement, wellbeing, and achievement, including by improving access to a range of learning opportunities.
Strengthening safety, wellbeing and engagement
Having the right supports and services in place to meet the needs of each child and young person, including keeping them safe from harm
Strategic Plan Initiatives
3.1 Child safety: Strengthen child safety policy, guidance, training and support for schools and early childhood education and care services, so that children and young people are safe, and staff are equipped to identify and respond to risk or harm.
3.2 Rapid Review into child safety in early childhood education and care settings and the Working with Children Check in Victoria (Rapid Review): Implement relevant recommendations from the Rapid Review, led by Jay Weatherill AO and Pamela White PSM, to strengthen safety standards in early childhood education and care, to keep Victorian children safe. The Victorian Government agreed to adopt every recommendation of the Rapid Review and implement them as quickly as possible. This will build on the restrictions on the use of personal devices in childcare services already in place and the establishment of a register of early childhood educators to track employment history and patterns.
3.3 Inclusion in kinder: Implement disability inclusion reforms, including more Preschool Field Officers, continuing the specialist equipment program, strengthening assessment processes, and designing and piloting a new strengths-based approach to support.
3.4 Kinder participation: Improve kinder participation through strengthened local and statewide strategies, leveraging existing initiatives such as Compact, Early Childhood LOOKOUT, and School Readiness Funding. This will be supported through the establishment of kindergarten attendance data reporting and analysis processes using the new Arrival IT system.
3.5 Student mental health reforms: Includes establishing a Schools Mental Health Fund supported by a menu of evidence-based initiatives, expanding the Mental Health in Primary Schools program, funding mental health and wellbeing leaders in every government and low-fee non-government school, and embedding mental health practitioners in every government secondary and specialist school.
3.6 Disability Inclusion: Complete the statewide rollout of the Disability Inclusion reform in schools to help schools better identify and respond to the needs of students with disability.
3.7 Engaging students: Strengthen strategic focus on improving school attendance and student engagement, supported by targeted efforts to increase the scale and scope of the Education Justice Initiative for students in (or at risk of) contact with the youth justice system and the Navigator program for chronically disengaged students. Continue LOOKOUT centre support and individual education supports for students in Out of Home Care.
3.8 Victorian Early Leaver Connection initiative: Establish the Victorian Early Leaver Connection initiative to identify and support early school leavers to remain engaged in education and training and successfully complete a Year 12 or equivalent qualification. This initiative will provide career advice, additional support and strengthened Year 12 pathways at TAFE, including targeted support for early school leavers who are First Nations students or who have a disability.
3.9 Providing students with essentials: Continue to deliver and expand School Breakfast Clubs, Affordable School Uniforms, Glasses for Kids and Free Period Products.
Prioritising self-determination and strengthening cultural safety
Improving learning and wellbeing outcomes for First Nations children and young people, and supporting community control and choice
Strategic Plan Initiatives
4.1 Cultural safety and inclusion in kinder: Work with Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI) on new approaches to establishing a culturally safe environment in all services, which values and respects First Nations culture, children and families.
4.2 Roll out Pre-Prep to Aboriginal children as a priority: From 2026, children who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander will be eligible for between 16 and 25 hours a week of Pre-Prep.
4.3 Marrung – Aboriginal Education Plan 2016–2026: Strengthen cultural inclusion and safety, and ensure equitable access to early childhood and education supports so that First Nations learners achieve their potential, succeed in life, and feel strong in their cultural identity.
4.4 Dhelk Wukang – Aboriginal Inclusion Plan: Strengthen Aboriginal inclusion, self-determination and cultural safety at all levels within the department, including the Victorian public service and government teaching service.
4.5 Self-determination in education reforms: Strengthen self-determination for First Nations learners and their families through building school capacity and practice in partnership with First Nations communities and organisations.
4.6 First Nations Employment Plan: Attract and retain new and returning First Nations people to the schools, corporate and early childhood workforces. Continue to work with VAEAI on supporting First Nations people to become early childhood teachers and educators.
4.7 Support Treaty and Government Yoorrook response: Support implementation of negotiated outcomes in the Statewide Treaty Agreement and coordinate the department’s response to Yoorrook Justice Commission recommendations.
4.8 Self-determination in early childhood education: Support and strengthen existing Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) delivering kindergarten and other childhood services and help establish more ACCO-delivered services so more First Nations families have this option for their children.
Addressing disadvantage and vulnerability
Enabling children and young people experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability to get the full benefit of education.
Strategic Plan initiatives
5.1 Fighting for students with disability and their families: Provide more support for students with disability and their families, ensuring more students have better access to the services they need.
5.2 Roll out Pre-Prep to priority cohorts: Priority cohorts of children will be eligible to receive between 16 and 25 hours of Pre-Prep statewide:
- from 2026, children from a refugee or asylum seeker background and children who have had contact with Child Protection.
- from 2028, children (or guardians) who have a concession card, and children who are a multiple birth child.
5.3 Multicultural, multifaith, and culturally and linguistically diverse support: Support multicultural and multifaith communities by expanding refugee education support programs, implementing the new anti-racism policy for schools, and continue support for students of African and Pasifika heritage through the Victorian African Communities Action Plan and place-based education initiatives.
Strengthening our teaching and education workforce
Growing and supporting our education and care workforces and supporting best practice in teaching
Strategic Plan Initiatives
6.1 School workforce supply initiatives: Continue attracting more people to our school education workforce and retaining existing staff by delivering programs such as Career Start, Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow, support for pre-service teachers and teacher financial incentives.
6.2 Improving school staff mental health and wellbeing support and reducing administrative workload: Continue to prioritise the wellbeing of our school workforce by implementing initiatives to improve government school staff mental health. Consider the recommendations of the Independent Review into administrative and compliance activities in government schools and begin delivering 6 of the review’s recommendations for the 2026 school year.
6.3 Best Start, Best Life workforce strategy: Implement Best Start, Best Life workforce strategy to build workforce supply and support retention of early childhood workforce to deliver high-quality early childhood education.
Foundations (initiatives and key activities)
Our people
Supporting a strong culture of integrity, inclusion and high performance
Strategic Plan Initiatives
1.1 Victorian Secretaries Board (VSB) Integrity Statement Action Plan: Support a strong culture of integrity by implementing the 2023 VSB Integrity Statement Action Plan through the delivery of work planned as part of the department’s integrity program and the department’s Integrity Statement Action Plan.
1.2 Develop a new workforce diversity and inclusion strategy: Consolidate the range of existing strategies and plans into one, to focus effort and streamline actions for greater impact.
1.3 VSB 2025 Capability Development Statement: Support a learning culture aimed at building capability in priority areas aligned to the department’s Strategic Plan and the Public Sector Values. We will:
- promote and support alignment of craft capabilities (working in government, leadership and management, integrity, and the public sector values)
- implement the mandatory minimum training requirements for executives across the craft capabilities.
Strong systems
Ensuring we have the right systems and business processes in place
Strategic Plan Initiatives
2.1 Cyber security and Information and Communications Technology (Securing Connected Learners): Create a safe and secure system-wide digital learning environment for students and schools to achieve a globally engaged and competitive education system.
2.2 Child Link and Kindergarten information systems: Continue operation and workforce support for Child Link, which integrates key information to support individual children’s wellbeing and safety (birth to 18 years). Establish a new kindergarten information system (Arrival) for monitoring kindergarten funding and data collection of enrolment and attendance information.
2.3 Improve information access and records management practices: Implement a strategic Records Management Program consistent with the Records Management Strategy 2024– 2028 to improve access to departmental information, support staff to systematically keep high-quality, digital-first records and ensure historic records are safeguarded and preserved.
2.4 Review of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA): Receive the final report of the independent review of the VCAA led by Dr Yehudi Blacher PSM, which commenced in December 2024 along with the Independent Monitor function. Implement the recommendations of both the review and the Independent Monitor to ensure that the VCAA can deliver its statutory functions and has the confidence of Victorian students, families and schools.
2.5 Strengthen early childhood regulatory approaches and processes: Strengthen risk-based early childhood regulatory approaches (including in relation to providers and individuals) and improve key processes such as assessment and ratings. Improve policies and practices relating to early childhood learning settings to maximise child safety, and implement stronger processes to monitor and enforce behaviour of providers and individuals.
Stewardship
Actively ensuring our sectors deliver outcomes, through our state-owned schools and services and by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across education and early childhood sectors
Strategic Plan initiatives
3.1 Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA): Finalise negotiations with the Australian Government for a Victorian Bilateral Agreement to the BFSA; and collaborate with other Australian governments to deliver agreed national commitments in schooling.
3.2 Preschool Reform Agreement: Finalise negotiations with the Australian Government for a new Preschool Reform Agreement.
Key activities
3.3 Support Best Start, Best Life provision, planning and change management at the sector and local level.
3.4 Strengthen child information sharing and improve service connections in the early years, working with other departments, local governments and partners.
3.5 Deliver agreed National Enabling Initiatives and National Reform Directions under the BFSA to support improvement in Australian schooling outcomes.
Partnerships and engagement
Building strong and effective partnerships across and with our sectors, families and carers
Key activities
4.1 Continue working closely with local and federal governments on maximising our collaborative impact.
4.2 Continue working closely with the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions to improve access to VET Delivered to School Students, for students to participate in quality work-based learning activities with industry. Continue to improve senior secondary certificate implementation including through non-school providers, as part of the Senior Secondary Pathways Reform.
Physical infrastructure
Building and partnering to create and maintain contemporary, safe, and sustainable spaces
Strategic Plan Initiatives
5.1 Department of Education Asset Strategy: Develop and maintain a high-performing asset base by targeting investment and improving processes so assets meet demand, are safe and in good condition, are fit-for-purpose and inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and asset managers are accountable and capable across the early childhood and school systems.
5.2 School infrastructure program: Deliver infrastructure to meet demand including new school construction and associated establishment processes, land acquisition, additional permanent, refurbished and upgraded infrastructure at existing schools and modular classrooms, including building 100 schools between 2019 and 2026.
5.3 Early childhood infrastructure: Grants and direct delivery to support expansion of places through kindergarten and early learning building projects that support the rollout of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and Pre-Prep. Building Blocks is also making early learning and kinder buildings, playgrounds and equipment more inclusive for children of all abilities.
Key activities
5.4 Update Kindergarten Infrastructure and Service Plans with all local governments.
5.5 Partner with local government, non-government schools and not-for-profit providers to deliver new early childhood infrastructure and identify non-government school sites for delivery of kindergartens.
5.6 Undertake analysis to determine where and when new schools should be built, and additional capacity required at established schools.
Resilience, mitigation and adaptation to climate change
Doing our bit to address climate change and ensuring continuity of learning in the event of natural disasters and emergency events
Strategic Plan Initiatives
6.1 Education and training climate change adaptation action plan 2022–26: Build understanding of, and guide how to adapt and build resilience to, the impacts of climate change.
6.2 Greener Government Schools Buildings: Install solar power systems in schools to lower the cost of electricity and reduce schools’ carbon footprint.
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