Establishment Of Nursery Unit Approved

Education Minister, John O'Dowd, has approved the establishment of a 26 place part-time nursery unit at Bronte Primary School, Banbridge.

Commenting on his decision, the Minister said: "The establishment of this new facility will be a welcome announcement to the area and will provide nursery provision to children who would otherwise travel outside their immediate locality to access a pre-school place.


"It is common knowledge that my Department faces significant financial pressures, particularly on its front line schools’ budget. It is therefore important that we maximise the impact of available pre-school resources and avoid unnecessary over-provision or duplication. On this occasion there was a clear gap in provision and a need to create more pre-school places for the benefit of the children in this rural community.

"My Department is committed to providing a place for each child in their immediate pre-school year. Research has shown that there is no discernable benefit to children of a longer daily pre-school session, therefore in this instance I have modified the proposal and given approval for the establishment of a twenty-six place part-time unit."

(CD/GK)