Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 Mar 2000

Vol. 516 No. 2

Written Answers. - Early Childhood Education.

Jack Wall

Question:

46 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the point in a child's development at which the Early Start programme will have a positive impact in countering educational disadvantage; if a specific target has been set for the programme; when he will consider the evaluation of the programme complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7237/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Early Start was introduced in 1994 in eight urban schools designated by my Department as serving areas of disadvantage. In 1995 it was extended to a further 32 similar locations. The project was designed to offset the educational effects of socio-economic deprivation.

The educational research centre, Drumcondra, was requested to undertake the evaluation of Early Start. The evaluation related to the first two cohorts of pupils in 1994-95 and 1995-96 in the initial eight schools over the first three years of the life of the project. A longitudinal report on the first cohort of Early Start children when they were in second class has been completed. A similar report on the second cohort is due next August.

No specific targets were set for the project in terms of pupil outcomes. The initial and further evaluations found that there were many positive aspects to the development of the project but no significant cognitive gains were identified in the experimental groups.

The benefits of early preventive education interventions such as Early Start both here and abroad have been found to be long-term. This has been found to be the case, for example, in the Rutland Street project, 1969 to 1974. A longitudinal study identified significant gains in retention in the school system, including third level participation, even though initial gains had been lost by the time participating children were eight years old.

In the third year of the Early Start project, the approach to the in-career development of the teachers and child-care workers was reviewed. The new approach is being used in successive years since then with teachers and child care workers. The evaluation of the effects of this development is taking place. It will not be possible to come to final conclusions on the effectiveness of Early Start until the pupils who participated in it have completed their second level education.