Early childhood education funding pool under fire

The National Party does not believe the Government has removed the race factor from early childhood education funding, and says only the name of the allocation pool is being changed.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced yesterday that the Early Childhood Discretionary Grants Scheme would in future be allocated only through a general pool.

In 2005-2006 the $12.8 million in the fund was to be allocated through three pools - General, Maori and Pasifika.

However, he said although grants would be from one pool, priority would be given to areas where there were fewer children receiving quality early childhood education such as Maori, Pasifika, low income and those in isolated communities.

National's education spokesman Bill English said the announcement was "nothing but smoke and mirrors".

"It's not the name of the funding pool that counts, but the way decisions are made about who gets funding and at what level," he said.

Mr English said the general pool was already allocated on the basis of which early childhood centres provided the highest number of new places for Maori and Pasifika children.

- NZPA