Concern At Lack Of Nursery Places
Robin Newton said,
“Following a recent question submitted to the Minister for Education I have discovered that a total of 418 children have been unable to find a place within the a Belfast Education and Library Board and South-Eastern Education and Library Board nursery unit or nursery school. This figure is very concerning as it places a lot of extra stress on the parents as well as adding a financial burden.
Nursery school education is one of the most important elements of a child’s education, where many of the social skills they will use in later life are first developed. It is also a time when children begin to form a bond with their peers and for many it is their first real experience of mixing with a large group of children their own age. For the education and library boards to be unable to provide a nursery school or nursery unit place for such a large number of children within the East Belfast constituency is a real concern to all.
I wish to call on the Minister for Education to look at the situation which is developing within my constituency and I am sure it is also occurring in constituencies throughout Northern Ireland. The Minister claims to have the interests of all our children at heart yet there are now 418 children who are being deprived of a service which will help them prepare for their future education. This is a situation which needs to be resolved as quickly as possible so that more children within the constituency will not suffer as a result of being unable to find a place in a nursery school.”
