14 November 2001
Media Statement

One Thousand more places in Early Childhood Education

Waimakariri Member of Parliament Clayton Cosgrove is delighted that his electorate will benefit from the nation-wide allocation of $8.241 million in funding announced by Education Minister Trevor Mallard for early childhood education buildings.

“Cotswold Preschool and Nursery is gaining $14,985 for improvements for their centre. I’m really supportive of the Government’s push to increase participation in quality early childhood education. It’s a really important investment to give all children the opportunity to strive for excellence,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

The discretionary grants scheme provides capital assistance to community-based not-for-profit early childhood education services.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said this year’s announcement would result in an extra 1024 places nation-wide for children in licensed and chartered centres over the next year.

“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 will also increase the number of places available in existing centres,” Trevor Mallard said.

“The Government is continuing to strive for higher participation and quality of early childhood education.

“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,” Trevor Mallard said.

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

ENDS

© Scoop Media