Page 2323 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 1 November 1989
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children. If you have two shifts, in a full-time preschool you have a total of 50.
It is important, Mr Speaker, that children have access to preschool places. It is important for reasons of social justice that these preschools are located close to the homes of the families that use them. (Extension of time granted)
Closing preschools will disadvantage the less affluent families and is likely to put preschools beyond the reach of some parents. For example, a family without a car or with only one car which is tied up by a working parent could be forced to put a four-year-old on a bus in order for him or her to attend preschool. The key to effective provision of preschool education is to ensure that preschools are readily accessible by the community. By creating fewer preschools the Government is placing preschool education out of the reach of some people. I am quoting this back against the existing ALP policy in this regard.
The ALP talks about things like special needs. It talks about participation in preschools. How are the special needs of four-year-olds who cannot get to preschools because they are out of range of their homes to be met, Education Minister? I look forward to an interesting answer. It makes a mockery of the Government's commitment to social justice; it makes a mockery of its commitment to maximising preschool attendance; and it makes a mockery of its pledge to provide preschool places for all children 12 months prior to their entry to school.
In fact, by planning to downgrade the availability of facilities in anticipation of an expected decline in enrolments, this Government is actively discouraging preschool attendance. Indeed, by speculating and naming preschools that might be forced to close under this system, it is effectively closing some preschools by a process of speculation. Parents of children who are in schools that might be closed, who hear they might be closed, naturally try to get their children into other surrounding preschools in order to avoid the rush out of those preschools. That, by itself, tends to affect schools by causing them to be closed.
The Government is not only breaking its election commitment but it is actually following a policy of minimising preschool attendance. This is unacceptable. I believe it is unacceptable to the community as a whole. Obviously there is some level at which preschools are not viable. If the chief education officer has said a school with 17 enrolments is viable and will not be closed, then I think this Government should accept that advice and give an unequivocal commitment that an enrolment of 17 students will guarantee that that school or preschool remains open.
I would like to remind Assembly members of remarks made by the Chief Minister during preschool week in May. She was
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