Gunnedah pre-school enrolments reflect Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Preschool Education Australia report

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Preschool Education Australia report shows that the proportion of four and five-year-old children enrolled in 600 hours of all forms of early childhood education in NSW has increased to 94.1 per cent in 2017. This is an increase from 85.1 per cent in 2016 and 76.9 per cent in 2015.

NSW Early Childhood Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the figures are consistent with the NSW Preschool Census results announced recently.

“The NSW government is committed to ensuring all children in NSW have access to quality early childhood education, and these numbers don’t lie,” Ms Mitchell said.

“These results demonstrate the success of the NSW government’s Start Strong program, which focuses on reducing fees, improving quality and ensuring more children are enrolled for 600 hours in the year before school.”

Gunnedah Baptist Community Preschool director Julie Frend said there is definitely more of an emphasis on school readiness now, with the pre-school recently expanding to help meet demand for places. Li’l Achievers also expanded last year, creating two new pre-school rooms.

“I think that’s what our parents want – school readiness,” she said.

The pre-school no longer has a waiting list, with 40 places offered for school readiness children per day – 20 in the blue room and 20 in the green room. Fifty four and five-year-old children are currently enrolled in the program.

“It’s been in place for quite some time but it’s getting stronger as parents realise what they want for their children,” Mrs Frend said.

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The pre-school has also seen an increase in the enrolment of Indigenous children this year.

“We’ve got about 12 this year, which is quite good for us; we had 10 last year,” Mrs Frend said.

Nation-wide there has also been an increase in Indigenous enrolments, according to Ms Mitchell.

“The Preschool Education Australia report also shows a 13.8 percent increase in the proportion of Aboriginal children, and a 10.1 percent increase in the proportion of disadvantaged children enrolled for 600 hours in the year before school,” she said.

The extension of the $115 million Start Strong program to 2021 has a strong focus on assisting these children, according to Ms Mitchell.

Mrs Frend said the funding is important for planning purposes and also to pressure on parents sending their children to pre-school two days or more per week. She does, however, feel that three-year-old children are missing out.

“We encourage the government to seriously consider funding the three-year-olds because that year before the school readiness year is vital to help the children settle and adapt learning possibilities in the best possible way,” she said.