Anne Tolley

16 June, 2011

Government invests $9.5 million in new ECE services

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced the Government is investing $9.5 million in property funding to build eight new early childhood education services.

440 new places for children will be created in areas of high need in South and East Auckland, as the Government targets increased participation for Maori, Pasifika and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

�The eight new early childhood education services are being established in areas where ECE participation is at its lowest and where some of our most vulnerable families live,� says Mrs Tolley.

�We know that in some areas one in four Pasifika children and one in five M�ori children are missing out on ECE.

�The extra 440 places being created will give more children the benefits of a quality early childhood education before they start school.

�This is part of the $91.8 million participation programme announced in Budget 2010, to establish an additional 3500 ECE places for children from target groups.

�The Government is committed to ensuring all children can participate in high quality ECE, and is investing $1.4 billion in early childhood education in the year ahead, with an additional $550 million allocated over four years in Budget 2011.�

Most of the new building projects will be completed by late 2012.

Further funding announcements on the establishment of new services will be made in the next few months.

Note to editors:

Te Manurewa Pasifika Early Childhood Education Trust will receive $2.4 million to build a Cook Island immersion ECE service with fifty child places, and a Tongan bilingual centre with fifty places - both in Rowendale, Manurewa.

Taonga Education Centre Charitable Trust will receive $1 million to establish a new M�ori bilingual centre with fifty child places based at Randwick Park, Manurewa. 

Fatamanu Aoga Tupu Olaola Moui will establish a Niuean bilingual centre with fifty child places in Otara West with funding of $1.2 million.

White Heron Learning Centres will establish a private M�ori bilingual service in Flatbush, Otara with seventy child places, with funding of $1.4 million.

The Lifewise Trust will establish a new licensed Tongan immersion centre with seventy child places in Otara South with funding of $1.3 million.

Taaeafou I Puaseisei Preschool Trust will establish a new Samoan bilingual centre with fifty child places in Mangere with funding of $1.1 million. 

Apii Potiki Reo Kuki Airani will receive just under $1 million to establish a new Cook Island immersion centre with fifty child places in Glen Innes, Tamaki.