National Higher Education Programme for Inclusion Coordinators

€5.4 million awarded for national higher education programme for inclusion coordinators in early years settings who will champion and co-ordinate better access to early education for children with additional needs

A consortium including Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Early Childhood Ireland and Maynooth University – Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, has been awarded €5.4 million from the Higher Education Authority for the delivery of the National Higher Education Programme for Inclusion Coordinators in Early Years Settings.  This training initiative is a result of recommendations from the Government’s Interdepartmental Group (IDG) report last year regarding access to early years education for children with additional needs and specifically in facilitate the creation of a new role of inclusion coordinator in each ECCE (early childhood care & education) setting and the need for more training in this area.

The programme, which is scheduled to be rolled out later this year, is a specialist programme, aimed at the development of a Level 6 Special Purpose Award (Higher Education), which will now be required for staff in early years settings to perform the role of inclusion coordinator. Successful graduates of the programme will acquire an NFQ Level 6 (Higher Education) Special Purpose Award in the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Years Settings which will enable them to successfully perform the role of Inclusion Coordinator in an ECCE Programme setting.

Since the introduction of the ECCE programme in 2010 it has become increasingly clear that a coordinated provision of appropriate supports for children with disabilities is required. In November 2015 the IDG report outlined a number of recommendations including the need for a new role of inclusion coordinator in each ECCE setting with funding being made available to provide training in inclusion for these and other early years educators.

A call for tender was announced in November 2015 with higher education providers being invited to submit proposals for the delivery of a specialist blended-learning programme with the tender subsequently  being awarded to this consortium.

Professor Michael A Hayes, President of MIC, congratulated the bid team, led by Dr Emer Ring, Head of Reflective Pedagogy & Early Childhood Studies and Dr Patricia Daly, Head of Special Education, MIC, saying: “I heartily congratulate Dr Emer Ring and Dr Patricia Daly and all who contributed to this successful proposal.  The award of this tender represents a significant milestone for the College as it will bring about a 50% increase in our student population over the next four years. More importantly this new programme will further strengthen MIC’s position at the forefront of early years and teacher education and ensure that we continue to have excellent early years educators and teachers from pre-primary through primary and secondary education as well as the third and fourth levels of higher education”.

Welcoming this new training initiatives, Teresa Heeney CEO of Early Childhood Ireland said: “Inclusion for children with additional needs and ensuring that all children have access to quality early years education is a key priority for Early Childhood Ireland and our 3,500 members running creches and preschools nationwide, but they’ve got to be supported in making this a reality.  To make inclusion a reality, we must all be champions for children with additional needs, going that extra mile, to ensure that they are supported in accessing early years education.  This makes sense on every level because we know that supporting these children is the right thing to do and early intervention saves time, stress and money down the line.   This new training initiative is a big step in making inclusion a reality, but we still have a long way to go and we’ve got to tackle this problem at every level from early diagnosis to investment and practical and accessible supports within the community.”

Professor Marie Mc Loughlin, Head of the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, welcomed “the opportunity for Maynooth University to play a central role in empowering early childhood educators to better care for and educate children with differing needs. This initiative marks yet another milestone in the professionalisation of educational professionals who work with Ireland’s youngest children. Such an investment should bring enduring benefits not just to our education system but to our society and it is a great privilege for Maynooth University to be partners in this consortium which is well placed to bring a unique and rich blend of knowledge, skills and expertise to this enterprise.“

Following the announcement Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr James Reilly said: “The value of quality early years care and education is well documented. The international evidence shows a wide range of benefits for children, for families and for society itself. This is even more true for children with a disability. Therefore I want to see all children, including children with a disability, being able to participate to the fullest extent possible in the ECCE Programme in mainstream pre-school settings. I am delighted with this announcement, presaging as it does the education and training of hundreds of graduates each year that will enable them to empower children with disabilities in the ECCE sector.”

Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan agreed with this, noting that this new national higher education certificate will play an important role in the ongoing development of the early years’ workforce.  She and her colleague, Minister Reilly, congratulated the successful applicant partners saying; “I am confident that this consortium will put in place a high quality programme.  This partnership combines the academic expertise of two highly respected higher education departments both with a proven track record in early years education and research.  The partnership with Early Childhood Ireland, and their invaluable knowledge of the sector and the professional demands on the workforce, will ensure that the qualification is fit for purpose and professionally relevant.”