Education Minister opens new nursery in Toome

The Northern Ireland Education Minister Martin McGuinness has opened a new £130,000 nursery unit at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School in Toome.

Speaking at the opening on Monday, December 3, the Minister said: “Good pre-school education provides the foundation for later educational achievement and is an important part of the drive to raise educational standards.

“Funding of pre-school education is in every sense a sound investment for the future. As a result of our Pre-school Education Expansion Programme and funding from other special initiatives, the proportion of children receiving fully funded pre-school education will almost double by 2001/02.

“This expansion of high quality pre-school education is a tremendous boost for the prospects of all our young children, for the children currently enrolled here in St. Oliver Plunkett Primary School, and for the generations of children to follow who will benefit from this facility. I am confident that this new nursery will give them a real start in life.”

The Department of Education is investing £38 million in the Pre-School Education Expansion Programme to create over 9,000 new pre-school places by 2001/02. According to the department, the Programme has already increased the availability of places for children in their final pre-school year from 45 per cent in September 1997 to 85 per cent in the current school year.

The expansion programme is planned through partnership at local level by Pre-School Education Advisory Groups (PEAGs) in each Education and Library Board area, which are representative of pre-school education providers in all sectors. (AMcE)