14 November 2001 Media Statement

One Thousand more places in Early Childhood Education

Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced the allocation of $8.241 million in funding for early childhood education buildings.

“This investment in education will create an extra 1024 places for children in licensed and chartered centres over the next year,” Trevor Mallard said.

Trevor Mallard was releasing the names of this year’s successful applicants for funding from the early childhood education discretionary grants scheme, which provides capital assistance to community-based not-for-profit early childhood education services.

The purpose is to assist groups to reach licensing standards or by helping others to maintain standards by removing health and safety hazards. The discretionary grants also increases the number of places available in existing centres.

“The Government continues to strive for higher participation and quality of early childhood education as a key priority in giving future generations a strong start to their education,” said Trevor Mallard.

“My personal conviction about the importance of this early foundation was confirmed yet again last month by the results from the Competent Children at 10 research conducted by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

“The Council reported that ‘Early childhood education continued to play a part in children’s performance five years after they had moved on to school. This is a powerful legacy’.

“I know that around New Zealand, communities have been working very hard to realise their dreams of achieving the funding they need for their projects so their children could receive quality early childhood education. For many of these communities, especially those for whom the raising of funds is difficult, the discretionary grants scheme is a key step in this process.”

Nationwide, 77 centres and community groups will have their projects funded over the next 12 months.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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