More than a dozen Clarence and Richmond Valley preschools and other early learning focussed groups have each secured NSW Government grants of up to $10,000 to help them give local Aboriginal children an even better start to their education, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis has announced.

“Every child is equally precious. We know Indigenous people are under-represented in higher education and we also know the most effective way to bridge that gap is to focus on early education,” Mr Gulaptis said.

It is Nationals in NSW Government policy for Aboriginal children and children from low income families to benefit from extra support to participate in 600 hours of quality early childhood education in the two years prior to school.

The organisations to benefit are Coraki Preschool; Gummyaney Aboriginal Corporation in Grafton; Jumbunna Community Preschool & Early Intervention Centre at Casino, Evans Head Preschool, Woodburn-Evans Head Preschool, Uniting Preschool Grafton, St Mary’s Community Preschool Casino, Iluka Preschool, Copmanhurst Preschool, Westlawn Preschool, Jacaranda Preschool South Grafton, Goodstart Early Learning Grafton and Yamba Early Learning Centre.

Minister for Education and Early Learning, the Nationals’ Sarah Mitchell, said the grants would strengthen the foundations of children’s learning in those crucial years before school.

“The NSW Government is committed to increasing educational access to quality early childhood education services, particularly for children from low income families and those from Aboriginal families,” Ms Mitchell said.