RECEIVE CAMPAIGN UPDATESMEDIA RELEASE | What has happened to the promised early childhood centres?
Monday, September 8th, 2008Meredith Hunter, ACT Greens candidate for Ginninderra, called on Andrew Barr, Minister for Education, to let parents of children know what is happening with the early childhood centres that were announced in 2006 and are supposed to open for the 2009 school year.
“Minister Barr put out a glossy document called The Best Start in Life; but the early childhood centres that it talks about, seem to be starting life behind the eight ball themselves ” Ms Hunter said today.
“These centres reflect a new approach to early years learning for children from birth to eight years; to be delivered through the Narrabundah, Isabella Plains, Lyons and Southern Cross (Belconnen) schools.”
“The model has good aspects such as co-locating childcare, preschool and early primary with family support and health and wellbeing programs. The centres will deliver a lot if they are well supported and well attended.”
“But I am extremely concerned that less than 5 months until they open, there is no information out there to promote these centres to parents.”
“How on earth are parents to make a decision to enrol their child if they don’t know what will be offered. I’m advised that there are almost no enrolments yet.”
“These centres came out of the shock closure of so many schools and the radical reshaping of others. It would be terrible if they are now undermined and denied their ‘best start in life’ through lack of information and promotion to families who may benefit from them”.
“Many parents feared the plan for early childhood centres was backhand way to close their local schools.
Whatever the intent of the ACT Government, if it doesn’t get the services in order and start promoting these centres soon , that is the outcome we will get.” Ms Hunter said.
