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Preschool enrolments have dropped for the first time in years in NSW, causing concern children may be missing out on the benefits of early education as parents working from home opt to mind them themselves.
Enrolments for all preschool-eligible children for 2021 fell 2 per cent last year, a reversal of the steady growth that has been recorded since 2016.
Chris and Odette Grabinski and their children George, 4, who is starting preschool, and Elliott. 2.
Credit:Steven Siewert
It comes after attendance and enrolments across preschools and childcare facilities declined sharply in the first half of last year, with 71 per cent reporting decreased enrolments for at least one month between March and June.