More Pacific Kids To Get Early Childhood Education

New government funding will see another 240 places for Pacific children in early childhood education centres, Pacific Island Affairs Minister Mark Gosche said today.

“Approximately $2.4 million is to be allocated for 20 Pacific early childhood groups wanting to establish licensed and chartered early childhood education centres. It will allow them to extend, upgrade or develop buildings.”

The funding is the latest from the Pasifika pool of early childhood education discretionary grants. The discretionary grants scheme provides capital assistance to community-based not-for-profit early childhood education services.

The 240 new places is on top of 334 Pacific places created from the Pasifika pool funding last financial year, and 309 places in the 200/01 year.

The new Pacific funding is the latest part of a total of $8.8 million to fund 1343 new places for children announced by Education Minister Trevor Mallard today.

Mr Gosche said the new funding fitted the government’s ten-year plan for early childhood education, Pathways to the Future: Ngä Huarahi Arataki, announced in September. That plan includes targeting Pacific children to increase their participation in early childhood education.

“This Government wants to ensure all children have access to early childhood education, to reduce disparities that occur throughout the education system. Increasing participation rates for Pacific children is a crucial part of that as Pacific participation in early childhood education is still low compared to other children.”

Mr Gosche said the new funding includes:

$300,465 for Fetutolu Tokelau Preschool, in Te Atatu. Mr Gosche said this new group would meet an identified community need, as there are currently only two Tokelaun early childhood centres in New Zealand, one in Mangere and one in Lower Hutt. $365,408 for a new building for Savali ole Filemu, a Samoan group based in Weymouth (Manurewa) where there is there is no existing Pasifika centres. $288,036 for Falemaama a Tongan group operating under the umbrella of the Tongan Methodist Church in Henderson which has been operating as a licence-exempt group for four years. They will be licensed for 35 children and will be the first Tongan centre in West Auckland.

A full list of the groups receiving the new funding is attached. For more information contact Lyn Holland in Mark Gosche’s Office, 04 4719 063 or 021 270 9004
2002-03 Early Childhood Education Discretionary Grants Scheme – Pasifika Pool

Centre Name Planning/Capital Ethnicity New Grant Allocated Current Location
Kia Okotai (Te Akirata Ou) Planning Cook Islands n/a $ 15,000.00 max. Christchurch

Logo-I-Pulotu Planning Samoan n/a $ 15,000.00 max. Levin

Ranui Boys Pre-school Planning Samoan n/a $ 15,000.00 max. Henderson

Fatu ole Sinapi Pre-school Planning Samoan n/a $ 15,000.00 max. Otara

Vaevae-Manava Pre-school Planning Tongan n/a $ 15,000.00 max, Kelston

Penina o Samoa Aoga Amata Planning Samoan n/a $ 15,000.00 max. Bairds Int.

Peniamina Falekaho Atua Planning Niuean n/a $ 15,000.00 max Mt Wellington

Fetu Taiala Planning Samoan n/a $ 15,000.00 max Onehunga

Ma'oni'oni Uaafe Planning Tongan n/a $ 15,000.00 max Mt Eden

Wainuiomata Aoga Amata Planning Samoan n/a $ 15,000.00 max Wainuiomata

Araminta Aoga Amata Planning Samoan n/a $ 15,000.00 max Manurewa

E.F.K.A.S. Aoga Amata Planning Samoan n/a $ 15,000.00 max Mangere

Langimalie Pre-school Planning Tongan n/a $ 15,000.00 max Onehunga

Tamariki Takitimu Punanga Reo New Building Cook Islands 30 $ 269,238.94 Mangere Bridge

Falemaama New Building Tongan 35 $ 288,036.00 Henderson

Mataniu Feagai Ma Le Ata Aoga Mata New Building Samoan 40 $ 352,082.25 Mangere

Savali ole Filemu New Building Samoan 40 $ 365,408.33 Weymouth

Fetutolu Tokelau Pre-school Alter/Renovations Tokelau 30 $ 300,465.00 Te Atatu Peninsula

Upu Amata 1 (Napier) Inc New Building Samoan 40 $ 377,437.50 Napier

SISDAC Etena Fou No.2 Alter/Renovatations Samoan 25 $ 243,099.24 Papatoetoe

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