Vol. 481 No. 6
7 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Education and Science whether he proposes to fully recognise the Montessori method of teaching as an integral part of primary education; and the new role and other operational changes which will result from this recognition. [16675/97]
Teachers with the Montessori qualification which is awarded on completion of the three year full-time course in the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) College, Mount St. Mary's, Milltown, Dublin 14, are recognised by my Department as qualified to teach in special schools for the mentally handicapped, the emotionally disturbed and the hearing impaired.
I have recently met representatives of the Association of AMI Teachers of Ireland. We discussed the question of extending departmental recognition to AMI teachers beyond the categories recognised at present. I assure the Deputy I am currently undertaking a full examination of the issues involved.
In addition, the Deputy will be aware that recently I announced my intention to set up a national forum on early education. The recognition of Montessori and other early childhood education qualifications will be addressed in the forum.
I declare an interest in this issue as my sister is a teacher using this method. Perhaps that should disqualify me from asking questions. However, the Fianna Fáil manifesto indicated the Government would recognise Montessori teaching. Is the Minister pulling back from that commitment in saying he will only recognise it should some study group come out in favour of such a move? What precisely does recognition mean? The main concern of groups involved in Montessori teaching is that they come under the Department of Health. Their pupilteacher ratios are different from those of a normal teaching environment. Their concerns are not solely about existing recognition in special schools but their right to be treated as educationalists and to comply with the provisions that apply to all education rather than under health boards which deal with cre ches.
I too must declare an interest in this subject as my three year old son attends an AMI Montessori school. The Fianna Fáil manifesto made a clear commitment that AMI Montessori teachers would be recognised for the purposes of early education. The question is broader in terms of being a full and integral part of the primary system. What gave rise to this issue was the introduction of the early start initiative in 1994 when Association Montessori Internationale teachers were specifically excluded by the then Government from applying for positions on the programme even as classroom assistants in some respects. The people involved are specifically trained with a view to teaching in early education and have full professional qualifications. During the by-election in Cork in 1994 I met a number of AMI teachers who had received commitments about eligibility to apply for the programme. This is where my interest in the case began.
However, the issue is broader than this. The national forum does not refer to an expert group. I, the Assistant Secretary of the Department and others have been working since July on this matter and it is a complex issue in terms of early education. AMI teachers are but one element. There are approximately 100 pre-school groups associated with the Irish Pre-school Play Groups Association which comes under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health and Children being funded by health boards in a varying and uneven manner. There are AMI Montessori teachers who work largely in the private sector but also with Irish Pre-school Play Groups Association play groups, St. Nicholas Montessori Society and naonraí and Comhchoiste Réamhscolaíochta which provide pre-school through the medium of Irish. Seven Government Departments are involved in early education. The INTO is also involved in the early start initiative in the formal education system.
Unfortunately, many tensions developed after the formation and initiation of the early start programme. I met many experts such as Dr. Douglas in UCC and Noreen Hayes in Dublin Institute of Technology who have pioneered research in Ireland in early education. We need to bring everybody forward together to develop a national coherent policy and framework on early education. To this end we are inviting all organisations to a national convention on early education in January. Much preparatory work will have to be done in this context. I have already addressed the Irish Pre-school Play Groups Association conference and will address the AMI conference next Saturday.
For the first time the Department of Education is looking at the overall sector and at all those involved in it. In this context the issue of recognition of qualifications will be dealt with and resolved. If we start making moves based on individual groupings we may not proceed too far towards the development of a national coherent policy on early education which is essential.
There are a small number of teachers with secondary teaching qualifications, usually with a degree and higher diploma in education, who are teaching groups such as travellers. At present they cannot be recognised as the stream of entry into that type of teaching is through national teaching qualifications. Those who had a national or secondary teaching qualification could adjust their training or qualifications by undertaking a course which was offered several years ago. There are a small number of people looking after special groups. If the Minister is to look at the general issue of recognition it would be worth while eliminating the anomalous position of this small number of people.
The Deputy has raised an important point and I will do what he suggests.
What does the Minister envisage by recognition? Does it mean that Montessori teachers will no longer be solely recognised as unqualified assistants in national schools? Does it mean that the ratio their schools will have to adopt will not be the 1:8 required by the health boards for cre ches but something more related to a schoolroom setting? Will the bodies conferring qualifications be recognised as third level institutions?
I was referring to recognition for early education provision and the possibility of those involved in the sector applying for new State organised projects. They were excluded from doing so by the previous administration. I am conscious that substitutes in national schools are not paid the full rate. These are the issues I want to discuss in consultation with the Department because other bodies also have legitimate interests in this matter. It is important that we achieve a resolution of these issues by consensus involving all partners because we will not achieve much if we pursue a unilateral route. It is a complex area with tensions and much mistrust.
Pre-schools feel primary schools were excluded from regulations pertaining to the child care legislation regarding the required ratio and the health and safety regulations. Pre-schools, which do not see themselves as cre ches, were included. The Irish Pre-school Play Groups Association, with which I recently met, is taking a constructive approach to the child care legislation. They have met health boards and it feels that it is in everybody's interest that we do our best to fulfil the criteria outlined in the legislation. Notwithstanding the difficulties the association's members are encountering, it is working constructively with the health boards to fulfil the legislative requirements. That legislation was passed by the last Dáil and the regulations were agreed prior to the dissolution of that Dáil. I am conscious of the difficulties it is causing a number of providers in this area but we must work constructively to deal with these issues.
Will the recognition referred to by the Minister in the context of the child care legislation extend as far as providing the means whereby Montessori teachers, especially those affiliated to the Irish Pre-school Play Groups Association, can comply with the new regulations which are causing considerable difficulties? In relation to the recognition of Montessori teachers in national schools, will fluency in Irish and qualifications to teach the curriculum through Irish be necessary for Montessori teachers as is the case with other national school teachers?
When this issue arose, the initial concern was eligibility to teach in early education, that is classes up to four years of age. The wider issue of complete qualifications is more complex and will take much more time to resolve, if it can be resolved. It will be debated in the context of the upcoming convention.
I have met the Irish Pre-school Play Groups Association which has had ongoing contact with health boards. The executive of the association made it clear to me that they were quite impressed by the response of the health boards to their concerns. There were fears that people would be closed down overnight. Those fears have not been realised and there is a genuine working together in terms of meeting the requirements of the law and progressing from there.
The key issue, in which the Irish Pre-school Play Groups Association is interested, is that we have much to do in terms of early education. I am trying to put a national framework in place. Seven Government Departments are involved. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has in excess of 100 child care projects, significantly resourced from Europe; the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, under FÁS, has an input into providing for early education, child care provision, community employment schemes and so forth; the Department of Education and Science has Early Start; the Department of Health and Children deals primarily with 1,800 IPPA groups; the Department of Social, and Family Affairs, through the NOW programme and voluntary grants, funds a number of early education initiatives; the Department of Agriculture and Food, through the Leader project, funds a number of early education projects in rural areas; the Department of the Taoiseach, through the area partnerships and ADM, funds a number of initiatives.
Noreen Hayes in Dublin Institute of Technology did an excellent study on early education. The clear message was we need a national policy on early education to bring together everyone who has an input on the one road. That would involve accreditation — people would have standards in terms of qualifications and a ladder of progression which would reflect their experience in the field and have opportunities to progress. The groups involved are working towards national curriculum guidelines for early education.
As the economy of modern Ireland progresses, child care and early education will become more central to society. Most European countries are more advanced in terms of national policy on the provision of early education and child care. I am endeavouring to develop a coherent framework. The national convention I have outlined today is the first step towards developing a national consensus on the issue.
