Boorowa is among 49 communities to be included on a list of regional areas chosen as locations for new public preschools, following a strong and ongoing advocacy campaign for the towns and villages across the electorate by the Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke.
Ms Cooke said she was grateful Boorowa was selected, after the NSW Labor Government reduced the number of new preschools the previous Coalition Government had originally planned for the state.
“Preschools are such an important first step in a child’s journey into education, and I’m so excited that these opportunities will be expanded in Boorowa with the newly announced public preschool at the Central School, which of course, will complement the wonderful services currently provided by the Boorowa Early Education Centre,” Ms Cooke said.
“It’s all about providing parents and families with more places in an area of high need, and the new preschool will help ensure all families have the chance to utilise preschool opportunities here in Boorowa,” she said.
Ms Cooke said enrolments at the Central School have grown by 37 per cent in the last four years – an increase she said, mirrors the growing demand for additional preschool services in the town.
“The town is expanding all the time, and when you consider the intake from surrounding villages such as Reids Flat, Rugby, and Rye Park, waiting lists for the highly sought-after Boorowa Early Education Centre are getting longer,” Ms Cooke said.
“So we clearly need more providers in Boorowa, and the new preschool will take the burden off the BEE, by extending the services they provide; essentially, it’s all about equity of access, and making sure all the families who want it, have the ability to send their children to preschool for the 12 months leading-up to kindy,” she said.
Ms Cooke said the Government has committed to delivering the new public preschools over the next three years, and she will be monitoring progress on the new preschool at Boorowa Central School closely, to ensure it is delivered in the promised timeframe.
“Securing investments for our preschool-aged children has been a top priority for me personally – and indeed for the Coalition more broadly – over the years, having secured over $4 million in preschool funding for our Cootamundra electorate since I was elected in 2017,” Ms Cooke said.
“While it’s true that the previous Coalition Government had planned a much larger preschool rollout, I’m relieved and grateful that our community has not been left out, and I can assure residents right across the electorate, that I will continue lobbying the Government to secure similar investments in early learning like we’ve been able to achieve today here in Boorowa.
“Investments in our preschools are quite literally an investment in our future; we must do everything we can to ensure our youngest learners have access to the best possible start when it comes to their education.
“As the local member, ensuring we have access to these services is just so vital. It goes far beyond bricks and mortar; funding like this will literally change the lives of families and improve outcomes for students for generations to come,” she said.
Photograph caption: Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke discussing plans for the newly announced public preschool at Boorowa Central School, with principal Graham Jones.
