Those toddling around southwest Sydney are set to benefit from dozens of new public preschools to be built across the city.
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The largest expansion of public preschools in NSW history will place 100 free-to-attend facilities over three years in areas of greatest need.
By co-locating the facilities at public primary school sites, children will be more ready for kindergarten and parents with more than one child can avoid travelling to multiple locations, the state government says.
The locations of the Sydney-based preschools were revealed on Monday with more than 30 to be built in the southwest, particularly around Campbelltown.
Nearly 20 more are in other western suburbs while a new preschool and primary school at Sydney Olympic Park is about as far east as the new development goes.
Sites were selected by an education department panel that focused on educational need, child development and socio-economic data, projected demand, service gaps and infrastructure feasibility.
"This is an absolute game changer when it comes to education," Education Minister Prue Car told reporters on Monday.
Another 49 regional preschools were revealed over the weekend with locations including Moss Vale, Deniliquin, Menindee and Taree.
"Access to early childhood education before school should not be defined by your postcode," Ms Car said.
The plan was lashed by the opposition for falling far short of the coalition's 2022 promise to deliver 500 preschools by 2027.
"This visionary initiative has been reduced by Labor to just a fifth of what it would have been," Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said at the weekend.
The government dismissed the 500-preschool scheme as lacking proper planning or consultation while pointing to negligible preschool construction over the past 12 years.
Australian Associated Press
