Anger as pre-school children refused local funded nursery school places

Over the past week, the Ballymoney and Moyle Times has been inundated with angry parents whose children have been refused admission for the 2010/11 school year.

In a letter to one Ballymoney parent, Mr D O'Neill, Open Enrolment Officer with NEELB explained: 'I write to advise you that your preferred pre-school provider(s) has/have been unable to select your child for admission for the 2010/11 school year.

'Each of the providers listed on your child's application form received more applications for funded places than their admissions number and consequently had to apply their admissions criteria to select children.

'If you had nominated either a nursery school or a nursery unit on your child's application form there is provision for appeal against the decision(s) of Governors of the school (s) in not selecting your child.'

The letter also revealed that there were no places available in neighbouring Coleraine, Antrim, Magherafelt, Newtownabbey however there were places still available in Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Moyle.

In an email one furious mother explained: "I would like to express my views on married working mothers not getting a funded nursery place for their pre-school child.

"My little girl, who is three in June, was to go to nursery this September and has been left with no place to go. However I'm not the only mother in this situation, there's loads of others panicking as it's their child's last chance before 'big' school.

"There is no more funded places available in the Ballymoney area. NEELB has sent a letter of rejection and another letter stating available places which none are near hand, the closest is Moyle. Seriously how can l go there every morning and back to Ballymoney for work and the same in the evening?

"I work full time and married with a good income and I feel I'm being discriminated against. NEELB states its motto as developing people for life.

"Since I got the letter I have been frantically phoning round and I've managed to get a private place three days a week for two hours each day at 5 per day."

Another mother who works for the Education Board also rang the Times to express her concern: "I know this is a province-wide problem but it's really not fair nor acceptable.

"Going to school is a daunting experience for any child and so pre-school is extremely important. It enables the child to be eased in to school life without been thrown in at the deep end."

Speaking to the Times a single working mother with a pre-school child continued: "They (NEELB) just sent me a letter Bank Holiday weekend to say there were no pre-school places starting this September. My wee boy is four this October and it's his last chance to get into pre-school.

"One of my main grievances is the lack of a helpline or any kind of help from NEELB, there's just doesn't seem to be any kind of back up plan. It would have been helpful to have a list of the non-funded pre-school places which have a good reputation within the NEELB.

"Obviously we can appeal, but what good would that do now for my son?"

A Ballymoney father stated: "I did everything I was meant to do - I filled in the form in January for a funded pre-school place but little good it did me and my son.

"School can be a shock to the system and I feel that every child should be guaranteed and entitled to a pre-school place the year before they are to start school."

North Antrim DUP MLA and Education representative Cllr Mervyn Storey also expressed his concern at the lack of nursery places in Ballymoney after visiting a local nursery school and having been contacted by a number of parents.

Cllr Storey said: There is undoubtedly a serious problem with the lack of places for parents who wish to have a nursery place for their children. I have been contacted by a number of concerned parents, as has my party colleagues across Northern Ireland.

"In our constituency offices we hear from a broad number of frustrated parents about the difficulty in accessing nursery places and the fact that social factors are locking some young children out from obtaining a place.

"The Education Minister has taken an age to produce an Early Years Strategy, something that we have been waiting on now for more than 2 years, as a result of this undue delay young people missing are out. This strategy must be brought forward immediately.

"The latest report from the Education and Training Inspectorate, 'An Evaluation of the Quality of Educational Provision in Nursery Units in Primary Schools 2007-2009', has highlighted the benefits of intervention early in education, an issue which formed a key component of the DUP Westminster election manifesto. This is an approach endorsed by international research.

"As Chairman of the Assembly Education Committee I have raised this issue again with the Department of Education and I am awaiting their response."