May 30, 2016
Preschool shouldn’t be an optional extra
It is unfathomable that 23 per cent of children cannot access early learning due to the high cost, in light of the Auditor-General’s report, which revealed $350 million of the budget was left unspent over four years in NSW. This is particularly troubling for many families in disadvantaged areas of western Sydney where even a heavily subsidised place at preschool, at about $16 per day, is out of reach.
While affordability is becoming more of a problem as preschool fees continue to rise, answers will not be found in funding solutions alone – especially when the money is not being spent. Calls for increased funding fail to address some inherent problems within the system.
Read more: Sydney Morning Herald