SOME Fermanagh pre-schools “have not yet reached their maximum capacity” as parents have been left anxiously waiting news on whether their child will be given a school place in September.
Calls had been increasing for more support locally, with the Northern Ireland Education Minister, Paul Givan, revealing that there would be an extra 276 places in the county in September 2025.
As part of the pre-school education shake-up, it was reported that 77 pre-school settings in the North would move from part-time to full-time hours, in a bid to support many children and pupils.
A commitment was also made to have an extra 2,500 full-time pre-school places in the North, with children aged three and four to be offered 22.5 hours of pre-school education per week.
After consultations with some pre-schools in the county, Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, Jemma Dolan, has called for more support for many, fearing that children are being left behind.
“Thankfully one of the local preschools that I have been working with has been allocated an increase in their spaces,” Ms Dolan explained to the ‘Herald.
“A number of local pre-schools have not yet reached their maximum capacity and the EA’s allocation of places is hindering families from being able to access school’s places in the locality.”
The Fermanagh representative has called for more support for the local education sector.
“We need to see the Education Minister take action to identify areas of high levels of unplaced children and allocate places as appropriate where additional capacity exists,” said Ms Dolan.
“Every child deserves the very best start on their education pathway.”