News
Cobar families are first to benefit from reforms
Cobar families will be among the first families across New South Wales to access the NSW Government’s pre-Kindergarten reform program. Premier Dominic Perrottet announced last week that hundreds of families from 71 early childhood services (including the Kubby House Childcare Centre and Cobar Mobile Children’s Services—Project 2) will be participating in the first stage of the program starting next month. “This first stage will ensure we get things right from the beginning – that includes capturing the diverse needs of children, families and communities right across the state,” Mr Perrottet said. Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said universal preKindergarten is one of the biggest education reforms in a generation. “This investment will change lives, delivering enormous educational, social and economic benefits for the families and children of NSW,” Ms Mitchell said. The services will be testing different elements of the Government’s pre-Kindergarten reform, including increased attendance, extended hours of operation, and transition to school programs. Feedback from the first 71 early childhood services, which include Department preschools and community preschools, long day care and mobile services, will ensure a smooth state-wide implementation of universal pre-Kindergarten. Alongside this investment which is part of their long-term economic plan, the Government is currently assessing opportunities to build the capacity of the sector, including investments in early learning facilities and a raft of workforce initiatives. More than $5.8 billion in the 2022/23 NSW Budget was allocated to begin the delivery of a universal pre-Kindergarten year for all children in the year before school in NSW by 2030. It’s part of the NSW Liberal and Nationals’ $15.9 billion Early Years Commitment to deliver a brighter future for every child in NSW. The two Cobar sites were selected after an expression of interest process, along with the other 69 sites across the state.
Induction of school leaders
St John’s School’s Year 6 leaders for 2023 were inducted at a special school mass on Friday morning. They are pictured with their teachers Tom McKeown and Scott Bennett as well as Fr Andrew Mutubusi. ▪ Photo contributed
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www.lukagroup.com.au Servicing Cobar for over 20 years Wednesday February 22, 2023 The Cobar Weekly Page 9
