Early childhood education

Early childhood education generally means education before the start of formal schooling, or before the age children must generally attend school. It covers the period from birth to 6 years.

By law, children must attend school (or get an education) from the age of 6. In practice, almost all 5-year-olds and about half of 4-year-olds attend primary schools.

Early childhood education services include infant classes in primary schools and a range of childcare and pre-school services.

Pre-school childcare services are regulated by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides free early care and education for children of pre-school age. In general, this is for 3 hours per day, 5 days a week, over a certain number of weeks for children enrolled in participating playschools.

The ECCE scheme is administered by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).

The Department of Education's role in early childhood education focuses on interventions for children who are disadvantaged or have special needs. The Early Years Education Policy Unit of the DCEDIY work on policy issues affecting early childhood care and education.

Infant classes in primary school

There is a special grant allocation to national schools to help buy equipment and materials for infant classes in primary schools.

Early Start

The Early Start Programme is for children who are at risk of not reaching their potential in school. It is a one-year scheme offered to pre-school children (aged 3 to 4) in some schools in disadvantaged areas.

Children under 4 with special needs

Pre-school children do not have a specific right to education. However, they are entitled to certain health services which are related to education.

Local Health Offices and voluntary bodies provide services for young children with severe or profound disabilities.

Pre-school children with disabilities can get psychological services and speech and language therapy services from Health Service Executive (HSE), if they are assessed as needing these services. Children under the age of 5 can get an Assessments of Need carried out under the Disability Act 2005.

From the age of 2, young children with visual or hearing impairment can use the Visiting Teacher Service of the Department of Education.

There are a small number of special pre-school class units for children with autistic spectrum disorders. These units are attached to primary schools.

Supports to access ECCE

The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) helps children with disabilities to benefit from quality early learning and care and to access the ECCE programme.

When you have identified a pre-school for your child, your service provider, in consultation with you, will consider what supports may be needed to ensure your child’s participation in pre-school.

Where it is considered that your child needs additional support, your pre-school service provider can apply, in partnership with you, for targeted supports under AIM.

The AIM website provides information for parents and frequently asked questions on supports available. Your local City or County Childcare Committee will also be able to provide you with information and guidance on AIM.

Ready to Learn

The Government's White Paper on Early Childhood Education 'Ready to Learn' (pdf) focuses on children from birth to 6 years.

It states that the core objective of early childhood education is to support the development and educational achievement of children through high quality early education, with particular focus on the disadvantaged and those with special needs.

‘Ready to Learn’ sets out a number of guiding principles, and proposes that families of children with special needs should have early support.

First 5

First 5 is Government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children, and their families.

Part of the 10-year plan under First 5 is reforming Early Learning Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) to improve:

• Affordability
• Accessibility, and
• Quality.

Measures under this plan include:

• Further developing Together for Better, the new funding model for ELC and SAC
• Implementing Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for ELC and SAC (2022-2028)
• Implementing the National Action Plan for Childminding (2021-2028)

National Early Learning and Childcare Agency

The DCEDIY is planning for a new National Early Learning and Childcare Agency.

The agency is expected to take over functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years (including Better Start), the City and County Childcare Committees, and some operational functions of the DCEDIY.

This agency is being established following a review of the ELC and SAC operating system in Ireland.

Read FAQs about the new National Early Learning and Childcare Agency on Gov.ie.

Síolta

Síolta: the National Framework for Quality in Early Childhood Education provides national standards for early childhood education. The Early Years Education Policy Unit of the Department of Education manages the implementation of Síolta.

Aistear

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has developed Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework to support the learning and development of children from birth to 6 years of age.

This support is guided under 4 themes:

• Well-being
• Identity and belonging
• Communicating
• Exploring and thinking