Plans to increase pre-school education for many children in Northern Ireland 'do not go far enough', McCrossanMLA says
About 60% of children in Northern Ireland currently get 12.5 hours of funded pre-school education a week
About 60% of children in Northern Ireland currently get 12.5 hours of funded pre-school education a week.He said families should be offered 30 hours of free childcare a week instead. They attend nursery schools, reception classes in primary schools or voluntary nurseries or day care. The report, entitled A Fair Start, called on the department to "standardise the length of pre-school education day to at least 4.5 hours per day, including access to free school meals for eligible children, thereby improving equality of provision"."Transitioning all funded provision to the longer day will require careful planning," she said in a ministerial statement on Wednesday.
Ms McIlveen also said that DE was reviewing how Sure Start services were targeted and had appointed an independent body to review the childcare sector., parents in Northern Ireland are entitled to funded pre-school education but not funded childcare. "We are already playing catch-up with the rest of these islands on this issue and any childcare strategy must include 30 hours of free childcare at a minimum," he said."I am mindful, however, of the immediate financial pressure being felt by parents," she said.
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