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Doubts Over NSW Government’s Promise to Open 100 Public Preschools by 2027 - Sydney, NSW
Smart summary
The New South Wales government says 100 new public preschools will be ready by the first day of Term 1 in 2027, but questions remain about how many will have completed the approvals required to accept children.
The New South Wales government is facing questions over its commitment to deliver 100 new public preschools by the beginning of the 2027 school year, after the state’s education minister declined to provide a clear estimate of how many centres would be accepting children on the first day of Term 1.
Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car made the comments on 12 October while joining Premier Chris Minns to announce the opening of a new public preschool at Yagoona, in Sydney’s south-west. The centre is part of the government’s plan to expand access to fee-free public early childhood education for children in the year before they begin kindergarten.
The government has pledged to have 100 new public preschools delivered by the start of the 2027 school year. In May, Car said every centre would be open and operating by the first day of Term 1. However, when asked whether all locations would actually be accepting students by that date, she repeatedly declined to give a specific number.
Car maintained that the government’s commitment remained unchanged and said all 100 preschools would be finished and open by the deadline. In a statement issued later on Monday, she said the centres would be delivered and ready to accept students by the first day of Term 1, 2027.
The uncertainty centres partly on the approval process. Each new preschool must receive approval from the independent NSW Early Learning Commission before it can operate. The government has not provided a detailed estimate of how many centres might face delays in obtaining that approval.
The opposition has argued that families need more certainty when planning their children’s education. Shadow Early Education Minister Felicity Wilson said parents should know where their children would be enrolled and whether their local centre would be ready when the new school year begins.
Despite the questions surrounding the overall deadline, the government announced that 14 new public preschools had opened in time for Term 4. Several are located in Western Sydney, including centres at Cartwright, Granville East, Guildford West and Villawood North. New regional centres include Leeton and Moorland.
Seven other public preschools were already operating before the latest openings. The government said the new centres would provide places for more than 1,000 additional children, bringing the state closer to its target of 100 new facilities.
The broader plan is intended to double the number of public preschools in NSW and create places for approximately 9,000 additional children. Locating centres alongside existing public primary schools is also intended to make daily routines easier for families and help children transition into kindergarten.
The central question now is whether construction, staffing and regulatory approvals can all be completed in time. Until the government provides a centre-by-centre readiness update, families may have limited clarity about which locations will accept enrolments on the first day of the 2027 school year.
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The New South Wales government is facing questions over its commitment to deliver 100 new public preschools by the beginning of the 2027 school year, after the state’s education minister declined to provide a clear estimate of how many centres would be accepting children on the first day of Term 1.
Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car made the comments on 12 October while joining Premier Chris Minns to announce the opening of a new public preschool at Yagoona, in Sydney’s south-west. The centre is part of the government’s plan to expand access to fee-free public early childhood education for children in the year before they begin kindergarten.
The government has pledged to have 100 new public preschools delivered by the start of the 2027 school year. In May, Car said every centre would be open and operating by the first day of Term 1. However, when asked whether all locations would actually be accepting students by that date, she repeatedly declined to give a specific number.
Car maintained that the government’s commitment remained unchanged and said all 100 preschools would be finished and open by the deadline. In a statement issued later on Monday, she said the centres would be delivered and ready to accept students by the first day of Term 1, 2027.
The uncertainty centres partly on the approval process. Each new preschool must receive approval from the independent NSW Early Learning Commission before it can operate. The government has not provided a detailed estimate of how many centres might face delays in obtaining that approval.
The opposition has argued that families need more certainty when planning their children’s education. Shadow Early Education Minister Felicity Wilson said parents should know where their children would be enrolled and whether their local centre would be ready when the new school year begins.
Despite the questions surrounding the overall deadline, the government announced that 14 new public preschools had opened in time for Term 4. Several are located in Western Sydney, including centres at Cartwright, Granville East, Guildford West and Villawood North. New regional centres include Leeton and Moorland.
Seven other public preschools were already operating before the latest openings. The government said the new centres would provide places for more than 1,000 additional children, bringing the state closer to its target of 100 new facilities.
The broader plan is intended to double the number of public preschools in NSW and create places for approximately 9,000 additional children. Locating centres alongside existing public primary schools is also intended to make daily routines easier for families and help children transition into kindergarten.
The central question now is whether construction, staffing and regulatory approvals can all be completed in time. Until the government provides a centre-by-centre readiness update, families may have limited clarity about which locations will accept enrolments on the first day of the 2027 school year.
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