Vol. 523 No. 5
123 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Education and Science if Ireland is still at the bottom of the EU table league relating to the provision of pre-school education; and if he will increase investment in this area in view of the fact that such lack of services are directly linked to social and economic disadvantage. [21388/00]
My Department provides free primary education for all children from the age of four years. Most children in Ireland attend primary school from the September following their fourth birthday. Thus, what is commonly regarded as pre-school education in other European countries, that is, education for children aged four and five years, is regarded as primary education in Ireland, and is provided free for all children. In addition to the provision of infant classes in national schools, my Department also provides support for a range of initiatives aimed at children who are disadvantaged and children who have special needs.
Pre-school provision for the coming school year, in addition to infants classes in primary schools, will be as follows: early start pre-school pilot programme, catering for a maximum of 1,680 children; Rutland Street pre-school project, currently catering for 84 children; 52 pre-schools for travellers catering for up to 520 Traveller children; pilot pre-school provision for autistic children, catering at present for a maximum of 24 children.
In addition, some 644 pre-school children avail of all-day child care under the childcare measure provided by the vocational education committees to support access of unemployed and early school leaver parents to VTOS, Youthreach and Traveller programmes.
The White Paper on Early Childhood Education, Ready to Learn, sets out a blueprint for the development of early education, with the aim of building on existing provision and assisting providers to raise quality of provision. Support will continue to be made available for the initiatives outlined above. In addition, the State may become involved in further direct provision in certain instances, where the educational needs of the White Paper priority groups – disadvantaged children or children with special needs – are not being met by existing State-funded services.
More generally, the White Paper also sets out a range of proposals designed to assist providers. These include the development of a quality in education mark to be awarded to providers who meet defined standards concerning matters such as curriculum and staff training. Supports will also be developed in a number of other areas including the production of materials and developmentally appropriate guidelines; research, development and dissemination of best practice; the provision of an advice, evaluation and inspection service; the development of a framework for qualifications and the provision of incentives for schools to make suitable premises available for pre-school services.
Initial planning for implementation of the recommendations made in the White Paper is currently under way in my Department. Detailed implementation of the White Paper proposals will be undertaken following the completion of the planning process.
