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Pre-school 'vital' to future education achievement
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/05/2011.
Tags: Education And PoliticsA growing recognition that youngsters who have attended pre-school perform better throughout the education system could lead to a new focus for attempts to raise standards.
The Irish Independent reports that a recent Draft Plan to Improve Literacy and Numeracy in Schools has called for higher-quality teaching at this early stage in order to give children a better chance for their future.
Chief executive of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment Anne Looney told the newspaper that a combination of basic education and play can be crucial in this stage of a child's development.
"There is growing agreement that play has a crucial role in children's early learning,' she said.
The draft plan called for staff working in the pre-school sector to be better trained in order to help assist children and make them more successful both academically and socially when they go on to primary and secondary schools.
Last month, it was reported that a new project to improve literacy among youngsters has been showing excellent results, with many pupils showing significant improvement in their reading ability.
Written by Donal Walsh
Bernadette Mc Loughlin
(28-05-2011 00:19)
The Irish educational system needs to address as a matter of emergency the anolomy that exists at present. I will outline it in a moment but the solution is to extend the pre school scheme (ECCE) age requirement by just 2 months to include children who turn 3 in July and August. By doing this, both the pre school scheme and primary education system are linked.
Yes, children do learn from a very very young age and pre school is a fabulous initiative where educators can identify children early with learning difficulties and/or specific needs.
If a child turns 4 in July or August, our state primary schools will accept them but the pre school scheme called the ECCE, administered/managed by the same Irish state will not acept those children the year before because all children must be 3 years before the end of June.
Question :Why are children who turn 3 in July or August discriminated against on the grounds of them falling short of the end of June deadline and thus, have to lose their entitlement to a pre school education, when they can exercise their right to a primary education the following year (an exact 12 months later)?
My 2 daughters were born in August. Unfortunately, the eldest girl did not qualify for her place in pre school education although she commenced Junior Infants last September (She was 4 years and 3 days). At the beginning, she struggled abit as others sitting beside her, had by virtue of their month of birth completed their ECCE scheme. Now she's flying and will go on to senior infants in September.
Olivia Coffey
(19-05-2011 11:50)
My daughter went to montessori school last year. She is now in Junior Infants and is completely bored with school. She pretty much had junior and senior infants cirriculum done before going to primary school. The department has not bothered to build on the early learning scheme and the teachers don't seem to want to move outside the cirriculum even if the children are inclined to want to read/write more.
wendyk
(19-05-2011 12:53)
I just wish I could get my daughter into a montessori school. They are all full where I live :(
Rodaco
(29-05-2011 14:58)