Eight early childhood education centres are to be built in south and east Auckland at a cost of $9.5 million.
Education Minister Anne Tolley says 440 new places for children will be created as the Government targets increased participation for Maori, Pasifika and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Mrs Tolley says that in some areas, one in four Pasifika children and one in five Maori children are missing out.
The extra places will give more children the benefits of a quality early childhood education before they start school, she says.
Most of the new building projects will be completed by late 2012.
