New pre-school fees under fire

New fees for public preschools are attracting considerable scrutiny from the community.
Two weeks ago, Greens Member for Balmain, Jamie Parker arranged a meeting with representatives of local preschools, parents and citizens’ associations and the New South Wales Teachers Federation to discuss the policy.
This was not the first meeting on the issue. In early November, around 60 parents, several school principals, representatives from the New South Wales Teachers Federation, and Greens MLC John Kaye attended a parliamentary forum to discuss the proposal with Education Minister Adrian Piccoli.
The policy, to be introduced on January 27, requires a fee for admittance to public preschools. In a speech early last month, Mr Piccoli said: “it is inequitable for a very few parents, who can afford it, to receive preschool for free when the vast majority, including many, many disadvantaged families, have to pay.”
Fees vary from no cost to $40 a-day and schools in low socio-economic areas will have reduced fees, in line with the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA).
Mr Piccoli said the adjustment of fees according to the ICSEA “was designed to allow children who really need to go to preschool to be able to attend”.
But the policy has fierce critics within the community.
Mr Parker said such fees put at risk improvements to lifelong learning outcomes. He said the ICSEA was clumsy and unjust, disadvantaging poorer parents living in comparatively richer neighbourhoods.
Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Carmel Tebbutt said it would be a “tragedy” if students miss out on the “all-important preschool experience” and said that Mr Piccoli’s views on what parents can afford was misguided.
She also questioned the policy’s origin, claiming it was announced without consultation or evidence for its necessity.
Publicity Officer for the Federation of Parents and Citizens’ Associations of New South Wales, Rachael Snowdon, said: “We are concerned about the lack of consultation with the schools and the communities.”
She said public preschools exist where they are needed – disadvantaged areas.
Both Ms Tebbutt and Ms Snowdon were unclear about where the money would go, whether or not it would go back to the preschool.
Mr Piccoli said the money raised from the fees would go to public education, rather than Treasury coffers.

By Dominic Dietrich