Written Answers. - Early Childhood Education.
Ceist:
113
Dr. Upton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
his views on the role of pre-school education; the number of three and four year olds who are not in the primary school system; the number of pre-school places provided by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25164/99]
I am convinced that pre-school education plays a vital role in the development and educational attainment of children. In my view, it has a number of significant benefits – for the children concerned, for families and for society.
Quality early education can have a very positive impact on the future educational and social development of individual children. It can also produce considerable benefits in relation to, and, in my view, is an essential part of, our efforts to encourage long-term educational participation, to break the cycle of disadvantage and to move towards greater equity in society.
The economic benefits of early childhood education – in terms of savings on social welfare and health programmes, higher levels of achievement, better social integraton and improved employment prospects – are also widely recognised.
My Department's involvement in the area of pre-school education is currently confined to the provision of infant classes in national schools, support for the early start pre-school pilot programme, the Rutland Street pre-school project, and pre-schools for traveller children, and provision for children with special needs.
The most recent figures available to my Department indicate that on 1 January 1998, there were 540 children aged three and under, and 26,075 children aged four receiving full-time education in national schools.
The early start pre-school pilot programme, which includes 40 schools, caters for a maximum of 1,680 children between the ages of three and four years of age. The Rutland Street pre-school project currently has an enrolment of 92 pupils. At present there are 56 pre-schools for travellers with approximately 540 traveller children attending. Finally, my Department is currently supporting pilot pre-school provision for autistic children in three locations. These pre-school classes can cater for a maximum of 24 children.
The forthcoming White Paper on Early Childhood Education will set out Government policy on early childhood education, including in the various areas outlined in the previous paragraph, and will provide a blueprint for the development of the sector for the future. Work on the White Paper is complete, and I hope to be in a position to publish it before Christmas.
