Who can save Globe Wilkins Preschool?
Both Darcy Byrne and Jo Haylen have issued press releases damning the State Government’s inoperable Expression of Interest documents. Byrne says “The EOI has no indication of a long-term lease, meaning the buildings could be taken back by the Department at any time. They’re not holding a site inspection until 3 December, which gives just 10 days to prepare a complex application to build and operate a childcare centre, before the EOI closes on the 13th. It’s clear this isn’t a serious attempt to find a solution.Council will submit an EOI to provide the operation of the preschool, but the State Government can’t dodge responsibility for trying to shut this service down.”
Jo Haylen, Member for Summer Hill, goes a step further and promises “A Labor Government elected in March next year will keep the doors of this extraordinary preschool open and Globe Wilkins will continue to deliver the best start in life for kids of all ages in our area.”
Globe Wilkins Preschool is the only Council-run preschool in Sydney’s Inner West. Based on site at Wilkins Public School in Marrickville, Globe’s future is under threat. A spate of high density developments in the area has left the school facing an influx of enrolments with no corresponding funding. The State Government has stated that it will not provide any infrastructure as the school has ‘available’ space – the space that the preschool has resided on for 20 years.
The Save Globe Wilkins Group website says “This dismissal is at complete odds with the Department of Education’s own policy, which advocates for increased access to high-quality Early Childhood Education, citing research that this not only gives children the best start at school but sets them up for the rest of their lives.” The group held a picnic in September that was attended by over 800 people – a clear demonstration of the community’s huge support.
For more info go to https://saveglobewilkins.com/