Seeing the lotus to come in every seed.
Hoa Nghiem Early Learning Centre (HNELC) is located in City of Greater Dandenong, that is a thriving multicultural municipality, enriched by the diversity and experiences of our community members.
City of Greater Dandenong is well-known as one of the most culturally diverse municipality in Australia, with over 250 nationalities calling Greater Dandenong home. Around 60 per cent of residents were born overseas and nearly two thirds of residents speak languages other than English at home. Of the 158,208 residents in Greater Dandenong in 2021, 29.3% speak English at home, 11.9% speak Vietnamese at home (ABS Census 2021). Around 40% of population in Springvale South are Buddhist in faith.
Acknowledging the diversity and a high population of Vietnamese Buddhist in the local area, Hoa Nghiem Early Learning centre was established in 2021 to provide education and are for children who are 36 months and older. At the first year of opening, our enrollment increased rapidly and within the first months, we were at full capacity and many families requested that our Buddhist services extend for younger children group, especially for siblings. Therefore, in Jan 2022, we started to operate the Long Day care, with integrated Kinder program and OSHC service.
In 2021 our Kinder program had an enrollment of 22 children. The Kinder children attended four days a week for 40 weeks a year, in 4 terms. The Kinder is staffed by one senior early childhood teacher, one senior educator and other co-educators.
From 2023, we restructured our ELC to Long Day Care, which is operating 5 days per week for 50 weeks per year from 7:00am - 6:30pm.
The centre is licensed for 66 children (including kindy and OSHC children). In 2023, there are 5 educators and a receptionist. Parent and Community Involvement in the centre is high. Parent and community involvement is actively encouraged by staff in the planning and provision of their care and educational programs.
The enrollments at HNELC is characterised by high levels of EALD children and vulnerable at risk children with a range of complexities, including financial disadvantage, disability and learning difficulties.
There is a staff car park on Centre premises and street parking is available.
Based on Buddhist philosophy to aquire a clear mind and a clear heart in its teaching practice, our educational team "sees the lotus to come in every seed".
The systemic learning approach we offer children with a solid foundation to confidently meet the intellectual and emotional challenges they will encounter on their lifelong learning journey.