Sarah Mitchell, NSW Minister for Early Childhood Learning, commits to early education and regional access

All early childhood services should be affordable, accessible, of a high quality, and no child should miss out, New South Wales Minister for Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell has said.

Ms Mitchell was reappointed to the state government’s early childhood portfolio following the recent NSW election. In an interview on the NSW Department of Education website, Ms Mitchell said that she was looking forward to the roll-out of subsidies to all NSW three-year-olds enrolled in community preschools, and to ensuring that the appropriate infrastructure funding was available to account for these increased enrolments.

“I also want to continue to support our wonderful early childhood educators through the Workforce Strategy, the Sector Support Program and various scholarship programs, because I know how crucial they are in ensuring our children have the best start to their lives,” she said.

As an MP representing a regional area, Ms Mitchell said she feels strongly that children in regional parts of NSW should have the same opportunities as their city counterparts.

“I have always believed that education is the key to success in life, and that literacy and numeracy are at the core of that foundation. I am committed to making sure every child, no matter where they are from, no matter what type of school they attend, has access to a top quality education. Academic prowess does not discriminate on gender, location or background, and I want to make sure every child has the best chance to succeed.”

“I also want [regional] parents to feel confident in the education their children are receiving, and for [regional] teachers to be well supported and have opportunities to grow.

“I remain a strong advocate for the early learning years as I know how critical they are,” she said.