A community preschool service in the Wollondilly electorate is set to benefit from new professional development opportunities for early childhood educators in 2018.
The Oaks Preschool Kindergarten has successfully applied for Professional Development Grants for 2017-18 and local MP Jai Rowell says the grant may be small but its impact will be substantial.
“Educational investment comes with a high return in early childhood education, preparing children for school, through the development of their social, emotional and cognitive skills which benefits them in their later school years and beyond,” said the State Member for Wollondilly.
“It’s vital that early childhood educators can develop their professional skills, and that’s exactly what these grants are for.
“They’re also structured to ensure the investment goes where it’s needed most and I am happy the local area will be able to benefit from the funding,’’ Mr Rowell said.
“I can only congratulate The Oaks Preschool Kindergarten for their successful application for $2,000 of funding.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The grant might be small in the grand scheme of the entire State’s budget, but every little bit helps.”[/social_quote]
Children in 143 community preschools across NSW, most in remote and regional areas, will benefit from the distribution of funds through the scheme this year.
Community preschools were invited to apply for the one-off grants, with priority given to rural and remote services, services with a high proportion of enrolments of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those offering opportunities contributing towards teacher accreditation and peer-to-peer learning exchange:
The grants will be administered by the Department of Education.
