Campaign against $500,000 funding cut to education

An Aboriginal education body may be forced to close after the Federal Government cut its funding by half a million dollars.

AECSL provides training and support to staff in Aboriginal preschools across New South Wales.

The Aboriginal Early Childhood Support and Learning Incorporated (AECSL) is a peak body that provides support and advocacy work for Aboriginal early childhood in New South Wales.

But Federal Government cuts could force them to shut down later this year.

The AECSL have launched a social media campaign calling on national support for the funding of its service to continue.

Aboriginal actor Luke Carroll says closure of AECSL will affect the wider community.

“Without AECSL's support, some preschools could be threatened with closure,” said Mr Carroll.

NRL player Nathan Merritt also expressed his support for AECSL.

“Having that Aboriginal preschool to provide for us is great and hopefully that journey keeps going for other Aboriginal kids,” said Mr Merritt.

The organisation hopes its online campaign will help get the support it needs to secure funding from the Federal Government.

In December, the Federal Government gave AECSL's president two weeks notice that it would no longer be receiving the 500-thousand dollars in funding it had been getting annually.

AECSL president Angela Webb says the organisation needs this money to stay open.

“There'll be no longer any AECSL, there'll be no longer the opportunity for Aboriginal community controlled organisation as a peak body to be able to support and advocate to our preschools."

“We've actually had to cut our annual Aboriginal and Early Childhood conference that we hold every year which we have over 300 participants attend,” said Ms Webb.

The Federal Government is yet to respond to questions put forward by NITV News.