`baby' School Plan Deficient

Illawarra Mercury

Monday August 30, 1999

Toddlers not participating in day-centre care could be disadvantaged at school when preschool education curriculums were introduced next year, the State Opposition said yesterday.

The State Government has revealed child-care workers in more than 3500 centres state-wide will be offered official guidelines to teach literacy and numeracy skills to children between 0-4 years by July.

The kits will also be made freely available to parents to follow at home.

But Opposition community services spokesman Stephen O'Doherty branded the plan ``inadequate".

``I don't quibble with the move, it's a step in the right direction but it should also focus on creating more child-care places so every child can participate or encouraging parents to send their children to preschool," Mr Doherty said.

``Kids who don't go to child care will be disadvantaged by the time they reach school. The kits being offered at home will be nothing more than pamphlets."

Mr Doherty said compulsory preschool should also be considered.

``This state has the lowest rate of pre-school attendance in the country so many of our kids are already disadvantaged," he said.

While the curriculum was yet to be prepared, Community Services Minister Faye Lo Po' said it would involve sets of guidelines on activities for different age groups and developmental levels.

The curriculum would be developed by an associate professor in early child care, she said.

Sydney mother-of-two Sue Convey, who is considering placing her 18-month daughter Grace into care next year, said competition for places would escalate as parents strived to give their children ``the edge".