East Derry MLAs raise concern over lack of pre-school placement

The issue of pre-school placements for children in East Derry has been raised in Stormont by local MLAs. 

It comes as some parents have raised concerns over the allocation of places.

Speaking in Stormont SDLP MLA Cara Hunter said: “Minister understandably the error from the EA distributing letters to parents on preschool placements has caused great distress, leaving many devastated to learn they’d not secured. A place for their child and scrambling to make alternative arrangements. Minister, can you detail to this house how many children in Northern Ireland currently have been left without a nursery place and will you commit to delivering necessary funding to ensure that these families can avail of placement, within one of their preferred nurseries.

“What action will the department take to ensure transparency and fairness in preschool place allocations particularly in rural areas like my own consistency. So it’s equal and fair. Given the education authorities recent policy change on pupil allocation notice and the impact of the standardisation program.”

In a post on Facebook Cara Hunter continued to express her feelings on the issue.

“I’ve been contacted by so many stressed parents in my constituency regarding a lack of placements for their children. It is so unfair how this process has worked out leaving many in a very helpless position,” she said.

“I have raised my concerns directly with the Education Minister and will be contacting the EA over the coming days.

“I have read my profound concern with the current system, and how many parents feel it is so greatly unfair as their child has been rejected from multiple places.

“Our Councillor, Declan Norris SDLP , has attended a community meeting on this issue in Eglinton and we will have an SDLP representative on the Ballykelly call tomorrow as well.

“Please bear with my staff and I over the coming days as we speak to reply to each and every email and do all we can to address your concerns.”

Independent MLA Claire Sugden has raised the worry of the viability of voluntary preschool providers in Northern Ireland, warning that the current admissions and funding model is pushing many trusted community settings to breaking point.

Ms Sugden said: “Voluntary preschools are being treated as second-class providers. They are delivering the same high-quality early education as statutory settings, yet they don’t receive the same level of support, security or prioritisation. In some areas, they’re the only option available to families and they’re at risk of closing.”

The East Derry MLA has submitted several questions to the Education Minister, asking what steps are being taken to support the financial and operational sustainability of the voluntary sector, and how its viability compares to that of statutory nurseries.

She continued saying: “Statutory places are being prioritised in the allocation process, leaving voluntary groups with fewer funded places and no real recourse to challenge those decisions even when they are oversubscribed. This is having a disproportionate impact in rural areas, where voluntary playgroups are often the only local provider.”

“Families want their children to benefit from early years education, but when voluntary providers are being squeezed, it reduces access, especially in areas with no statutory nursery. For many parents, paying for a place simply isn’t an option and that creates inequality before a child has even started school.”

“Voluntary providers play a vital role in our communities. If we continue to undermine them through unequal treatment, we risk losing the very settings that have supported generations of children. The Department must step up and create a more level playing field.”