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