Education officials urged to help Ballykinlar playgroup

Education officials urged to help Ballykinlar playgroup

26 April 2023

EDUCATION officials have been asked to do all they can to keep the doors of Ballykinlar’s cross-community pre-school playgroup open.

The highly valued facility has been earmarked for closure due to funding issues, with parents facing a major issue as neighbouring pre-schools in Downpatrick and Newcastle are already oversubscribed.

South Down MLA Patrick Brown and Slieve Croob councillor Andy McMurray — who have branded the closure decision short-sighted —  hope the doors of the Ballykinlar playgroup will remain open and have pledged to help parents who want their children to attend the facility.

Mr Brown said a number of concerned parents have been in touch with his office about what the future holds.

The Alliance politician has asked the Education Authority to reconsider the closure proposal given the key role it plays and its record of service in the community.

“Given that this is purpose-built pre-school building and the fact that the it fell slightly short of the threshold for funding, I am concerned that this a short-sighted decision and a waste of resources when the building will no longer be used,” he added.

Cllr McMurray described the playgroup as an “invaluable support” to all those who have used it, providing children with high level early education services and bringing together families from across the community. 

He thanked staff for their “invaluable contribution” and said he knows the level of care and attention they provide to children which is appreciated “beyond measure by parents”.

Cllr McMurray highlighted the lack of “easily accessible” pre-schools across the district, highlighting the vital role the Ballykinlar playgroup plays in the life of a rural area.

He said if the playgroup closes, the alternative pre-school options for parents of young children are limited.

“The nearest pre-schools are now considerably further from many of these families, with those in Downpatrick and Newcastle already oversubscribed,” Cllr McMurray continued.

“With many of these also using proximity as an inclusion criteria, I am deeply concerned that the children in our rural communities will struggle to access high quality preschool care.”

He said he understood “only too well” the difficulties of funding within education, pointing to recent decisions taken by the Education Authority to axe a number of programmes it funds.

He also said he was disappointed no provision was put in place to offset funding cuts. 

“The benefit of high level, early education provided by the Ballykinlar playgroup to the community and to rural schooling across the district and throughout Northern Ireland cannot be underestimated,” Cllr McMurray added.