The OECD report makes a number of recommendations across the key areas of access, quality and co-ordination.
In 2002 the Department of Education and Science invited the OECD Directorate for Education to conduct a review of Early Childhood Education policies and services in Ireland. As part of the preparation for the report the Irish authorities commissioned a detailed background report designed to provide the OECD with an overview, in the Irish context, of major issues and concerns, existing early childhood education and care policies and provision as well as available quantitative and evaluation data. The OECD team met with many government departments, agencies and other stakeholders dealing with early childhood issues and made site visits covering a range of services for young people from 4 months to 6 years of age.
The OECD team of examiners have presented their recommendations, not as hard and fast conclusions, but in the spirit of professional dialogue for the consideration of Irish policy makers and specialists. Speaking at the launch Minister de Valera said that
“this is a profoundly important review carried out with all the excellence and professionalism we have come to associate with the OECD”.
The policy implications of the OECD’s recommendations are currently under active consideration within the Department of Education and Science and are also under examination by the Government’s high level group on childcare and early education, which is comprised of senior representatives from a number of government departments and agencies.
Both documents will be available for download from the Department of Education and Science website at www.education.ie and on the OECD website at www.oecd.org/edu/earlychildhood . Hard copies are available from
The
Communications Unit
Department of Education and Science
Marlborough Street
Dublin 1
Tel: 353 1 889 2388