Education-focused Inspection Reports

PRESS RELEASE: Early Childhood Ireland welcomes the publication of the first batch of reports on Education-focused Inspection in Early Years Settings, but urges the Government to increase funding for the ECCE free preschool scheme to ensure it can function better

Commenting today Teresa Heeney CEO of Early Childhood Ireland said:
“We welcome, hot off the press, the first batch of 42 of the new reports on Education-focused Inspections in Early Years Settings published by the Department of Education & Skills and the Department of Children & Youth Affairs, and available for parents to view on http://www.education.ie/…/In…/Early-Years-Education-Reports/

“It is good that parents will be able to access these inspection reports, and very importantly that they include the reply from the early years educators which set out how they intend to further improve what they do. We encourage parents and guardians to view these reports over the summer and we expect that the rest of the 182 pre-schools inspection conducted since April 2016 will be published in a timely fashion.

“The fact that these inspections focus on the education aspect of preschool and are conducted by inspectors with early years qualifications, rather than by public health nurses, has to be acknowledged and commended, and is something we’ve been calling for for years. Some of our members that were already inspected in this new regime have told us that they found the process to be collaborative, and this is to be welcomed.

“Ironically the publication of these inspection reports coincides with the last week of preschool for many settings, as they close to coincide with the school holidays, when thousands of early educators are forced to sign on the dole over the summer months. Also, it is at this time of year that self-employed preschool managers are forced to do much of the administration work in relation to the ECCE preschool scheme, unpaid and unrecognised over the summer months. This is not sustainable and not acceptable.

“Again, we call on the Government, and in particular Ministers Zappone and Bruton, to look at the sustainability and the professionalisation of the childcare sector and to acknowledge and pay for the amount of time that goes into administering such schemes and to pay a fair capitation for the work done.”