With books, stationery and textbooks on top of excursion and camp fees — parents are staring down the barrel of an expensive first semester.
To help ease these costs, the Victorian Government has introduced several practical measures to reduce expenses as term one starts.
Children enrolled in a government-funded three-year-old kindergarten program will be taking home a bag of educational goodies.
Known as the Kindie Kit, each backpack contains two books from a carefully selected range of four titles by Australian authors, along with engaging educational toys and activities.
This year’s selection of books include: Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen; Country by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson; The Kindness Club by Kate Bullen-Casanova; and Can You Dance? by Sally Morgan.
Prep students enrolled in a government school will also receive these kits.
Each child starting school for the first time this year will be taking home a bag of engaging learning items, including a collection of five Australian-written books, as well as educational items and activities.
The books included in the kit include: Chooks in Dinner Suits by Diane Jackson Hill; Frank’s Red Hat by Sean E. Avery; Sharing by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson; The Bin Monster by Annabelle Hale; The Concrete Garden by Bob Graham.
While these initiatives help our youngest learners, the government is also tackling the mounting costs that follow students through to graduation.
After finding branded and customised uniform items typically cost $56 more than generic alternatives, the Victorian Government announced significant changes to school uniforms from 2026.
Government schools are now required to offer non-branded options for pants, shorts, skirts and socks, ensuring affordable uniform choices for families.
Students can still display their school pride, with schools maintaining branding on hats, tops, shirts, dresses and jackets.
You can find more information about the Kindie Kit and Prep bag roll-out on at vic.gov.au
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