Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Sep 1997

Vol. 480 No. 6

Adjournment Debate. - Early Start Pre-school Programme.

Mr. Hayes:

I thank the Chair for selecting this item. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Micheál Martin, on his appointment as Minister for Education. It is an onerous responsibility. He worked very hard as spokesman on Education when he was in Opposition. I wish him every success over the next few years in a key area of Government policy.

I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the issue of pre-school education with the Minister. Ireland lags far behind our EU partners in the provision of State funded pre-school education, but it would be remiss of me if I failed to recognise the sterling work of the former Minister for Education, former Deputy Niamh Bhreathnach, who pioneered the initial response by establishing a pilot programme in this area and set the foundation for the emergence of a well funded pre-school education system.

We are only beginning to learn about the first response to the pilot programme, but unless the present Minister for Education prioritises the issue and fights for additional funding for this area within his Department, the entire advance of pre-school education will be stopped in its tracks. The advance of pre-school education, particularly in some of the most deprived areas, can only succeed if the Minister for Education wins the argument in financial terms at the Cabinet table. The success of the early start pilot programme and of the breaking the cycle of educational disadvantage programme can only be realised if there is a financial commitment by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and all Ministers in the Government.

The Minister should prioritise this area of education policy because if the work that was pioneered by the last Government continues over the next few years we can make a real dent in the issue of educational disadvantage. This, in conjunction with the programme breaking the cycle of educational disadvantage and the school attendance legislation promised by the Minister would do more to help disadvantaged children than anything the Minister could do over the next few of years. Extending the early school programme, increasing the number of teachers in disadvantaged schools and putting in place a well resourced system of school attendance officers would make a vital difference to parents, teachers and children in gravely disadvantaged communities.

My advice to the Minister is to concentrate resources on the basis of educational need, namely the children at primary school level in disadvantaged areas. The extension of the early school programme could have a dramatic effect on the lives of parents who sometimes have to cope with insurmountable odds. In communities where attendance at school can be as low as 60 per cent of the eligible school-going population, it is vital that the culture of school as a vehicle for life chances and life opportunities be part of a child's development from the earliest time.

The pre-school system is also of crucial importance to parents. Young parents in particular need the space and time it can provide for their children. It is as much a resource for them as their children. By making pre-school education central to a community with huge social problems we will lessen the chances of children displaying signs of dysfunctional behaviour in school at a later stage.

I appeal to the Minister to consider the application of St. Brigid's national school in Brookfield in my constituency for inclusion in the next phase of the early start programme. The school is situated in a parish where the rate of unemployment stands at 82 per cent, which consists entirely of local authority housing and where lone parents account for 38 per cent of the population.

The school was informed by the Department that it failed to meet two of the main criteria for inclusion in the 1996-7 pilot programme. It was informed that there was no great need to provide a pre-school option in the area and that two rooms would have to be made available. Any assessment of social conditions in the area would lead one to the conclusion there is not alone a need for such a facility but that it is necessary. There are also two rooms available. The school management cannot understand how the Department has failed to recognise this.

An imaginative response is required from Government. The school should be included in the next phase of the programme as a matter of priority.

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin):

I am delighted the Deputy has raised this matter on the Adjournment and thank him for his kind comments. I, in turn, congratulate him on his election to Dáil Éireann. The development of the early education system is one of my top priorities. When in Opposition I invested much time and energy in preparing policy documents on this extremely important matter. I am a convert to the concept that the earlier one intervenes in the life cycle of a child the greater the dividend for that child and society ultimately.

As the House will be aware, I recently announced my intention to establish a national forum on pre-school education. This stems from the commitment given in the Action Programme for the Millennium. This consultative process will allow all interested bodies in the field to put forward their proposals and views aimed at co-ordinating services and developing a coherent national policy on early education.

The output from the forum will inform my policy decisions on the development of the early start pre-school pilot project. I will also have the report of the committee established by the previous Minister which is monitoring the progress of the early start programme. The committee includes representatives from my Department, the Department of Health, all the voluntary bodies involved in pre-school services for this age group as well as the teacher unions and relevant third level colleges involved in staff training. The committee also advises on the co-ordination of pre-school provision. There is regular consultation between my officials and those of the Department of Health. There are approximately seven Departments involved in the provision of early education. There is therefore a clear need for co-ordination of their activities and to develop a coherent national policy.

The early start pre-school pilot programme, which was introduced in 1994, is targeted at the most disadvantaged children in the areas in which it is based. It is being developed as an integral part of the existing primary school system to which the pre-schools are attached.

The objective of the pilot project is to provide young children with an educational programme which will enhance their overall development and lay a foundation for successful attainment in future years. The service is being targeted on areas of particular disadvantage.

Decisions on the selection of locations for the pre-school projects established by my Department were taken after consultation with the relevant health authorities and having full regard to the range of pre-school activities already in place in an area. The criteria used were the degree of social disadvantage and the availability of vacant classroom accommodation. I am not entirely responsible for decisions that were taken in the original pilot programme in terms of the selected schools. The previous Minister would obviously have had an important role in that regard.

In the case of each area chosen, the intention is that the pre-school project will serve children from the catchment area of the school to which the project is being attached. Eight centres of greatest disadvantage — one each in Cork and Limerick, and six in Dublin — were selected in October 1994 for the provision of this service on a pilot scheme basis. The areas in question were selected after detailed consideration of needs across the disadvantaged areas. The programme was extended to a further 32 schools in disadvantaged areas for the 1995-6 school year, bringing the total number of schools with this service to 40.

In terms of preparation for this September, the allocation of demographic dividend was a matter for the outgoing Minister. The issue of extending the early start initiative would have been possible in that context but, unfortunately, St. Brigid's national school was not included. However, there were some problems concerning vacant classroom space in the school. In the context of the evolution of our policy on early education and an extension of the early start initiative, we will give strong consideration to St. Brigid's application. A number of Deputies from both sides of the House have been in correspondence with me on that issue. I note their concern and I will give the matter consideration when it comes to extending the scheme and allocating the dividend next year.