Making the announcement last week on Budget 2015, Ireland’s minister for children and youth affairs James Reilly revealed that early childhood settings participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE) will in future be inspected on their quality of educational provision.
Under the ECCE, also known as the free pre-school year, children aged over three years and two months and less than four years seven months are entitled to a free childcare place.
The inspections, funded by a £60m boost in capital to Ireland’s education budget for 2015, will be carried out by qualified early years inspectors, of which there are currently five, with plans to have a total of 49 in place by the end of the year.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
