Historical Development of ECCE Setting in Ireland

Historical Development

In Ireland pre-school did not really exist until the 1980s and 1990s because most Irish women did not work outside their home, one reason is no demand on it. The custom was, childcare done by family members or local childminders known by the family. There was a little focus on pre-school education until the late 1980s and 1990s.  Newly married couples working in the public service should leave their jobs and stay at home as mothers and wives.  On 1957 the ban was lifted for primary school teachers.  It was 1973 the ban was lifted for other women who works in public service.

The ECEC service provision was unregulated until 1997.  No stipulations made with regards to qualification to deliver services until the Child Care (Pre-school) Regulations came into effect on 2006.  Prior on this Regulations, person with children of their own show appropriate experience in caring for children and considered as one of the qualification.  The community and voluntary sector provides many services and only relied on volunteer staff.  Salaries and conditions of employment were low and poor even in private sector.  Generally, working in childcare viewed as undesirable career choice back then.

Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child in the 1992, to bring consciousness to the public about the rights of children.

The Department of Health and Children published in 2000, the National Children’s Strategy. It is a ten-year-plan for the improvement of children living in Ireland. One of its goal is to give quality supports and services to promote child development in different areas. It aims to full fill this by providing childcare services and family-friendly employment measures.

One of its vision is “An Ireland where children are respected as young citizens with a valued contribution to make and a voice of their own; where all children are cherished and supported by family and the wider society; where they enjoy a fulfilling childhood, and realise their potential… (DoH 2000:10)”

            The strategy provides the vision for the future which enhances the status of children in Ireland for a quality of life and a statement of support to parents.  It offers the means to listen, to think and to act more effectively for children without discrimination.  Their views must be taken into consideration, when it comes to decision making and matters that affects them. It also provides the right of the child for survival and development. With the help of people surrounding them, they can actively shape their own lives, enjoy their childhood and prepare them to be a good law-abiding citizen or shall we say a responsible adult. (http://www.gillmacmillan.ie)

            In 2006, the Department of Health and Children produced the Child Care or Pre-School Services No. 2 Regulations.  This document set out pre-school regulations and put a statutory basis in Ireland for ECEC service provision.  All the requirements are clearly listed in the regulations and must be met by organisations or individuals providing ECEC services to children aged 0 to 6.  It covers many issues such as first aid, management, staff-child ratios, behaviour management, fire safety measures, premises and facilities, heating, ventilation, lighting, facilities for rest and play, etc. These regulations give much work and expense on ECEC providers for the fulfilment of the requirements.  Many believe that these regulations have done more, than any other initiative for the improvement of ECEC services for children.  They are enforced by HSE inspector, for they are on a statutory footing.

Síolta (2006) The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, was published in 2006 by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education or CECDE. It aims to define, assess and support the improvement of quality across all aspects of practices in ECEC settings that cater for children aged 0-6.  Settings covered includes full and part-time day care, childminding services which is governed by CECDE and sessional services, like Montessori classroom and infant classes. In Síolta infant classes in primary school are included. Pre-school and primary school children were treated differently until the publication of Síolta and Aistear in 2009.  Whether the child is in pre-school or primary school, it is understood that children aged 0-6 requires a development-based curriculum.  CECDE was disbanded in 2008 and the Early Years Education Policy Unit in the Department of Education and Skills are now responsible for the implementation of the latter.

Aistear (2009).  The curriculum followed by pre-school settings was largely undirected and unregulated, up until recent years.  This resulted in variation in the quality of the curriculum provided by settings.  The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in 2009 published Aistear, “The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework”.  Aistear aims to develop the whole child, a contrast with the previous Primary School Curriculum that based more on subjects.  The infant classes in primary schools must now follow the Aistear curriculum.  This is considered as a huge departure for ECEC in Ireland.  The Scandinavian countries have been using this curriculum for years.  It is now understood that introducing children to formal, direct education at a very young age is unproductive and suppress their natural enthusiasm and curiosity for learning.

In 2010 the Department of Children and Youth Affairs introduced the Free Pre-School Year Programme in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).  This scheme provides early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age.  The participation of children in preschool programme will be their first formal experience of early learning.  It is the starting-point of their educational and social development outside their home.  Those children who avail this programme are ready for school and a formal learning and social environment.  The scheme expanded in September 2016 and from then on, children were able to participate in the ECCE scheme for the age of 3 until they transfer to primary school, on the condition that they are not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the pre-school year.  Total number of ECCE weeks a child can avail will depend on the child’s birth date and age at which the child begins primary school.  The children can enrol in pre-school at 3 different points (September, January and April) in the school year to access the scheme. 

Eligible Range

To avail of the ECCE programme from	Children must have been born between the following dates (both dates inclusive)
April 2017 – June 2017	1st January 2012 – 31st March 2014
September 2017 – June 2018	1st January 2013 – 31st August 2014
January 2018 – June 2018	1st January 2013 – 31st December 2014

(Source: Flood and Hardy)

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