Nursery World - Poor take to pre-schools

More young children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Northern Ireland are in pre-school education than ever before, a Department of Education report on educational participation has found. The report, New Targeting Social Need, published last week, analysed data from the years 1994/95 to 1999/2000 regarding children's participation in pre-school provision and secondary school in the Province. It found an increase in the number of children from disadvantaged areas in pre-school provision during this time, although the number of travellers' children in pre-school provision remained low.

The report, New Targeting Social Need, published last week, analysed data from the years 1994/95 to 1999/2000 regarding children's participation in pre-school provision and secondary school in the Province. It found an increase in the number of children from disadvantaged areas in pre-school provision during this time, although the number of travellers' children in pre-school provision remained low.

The report also noted that up until 1998/99, the first year of the Pre-school Education Expansion Programme, the number of children in funded pre-school provision who were entitled to free school meals or whose parents received either income support or the jobseeker's allowance was lower than the proportion of primary school pupils entitled to free school meals.

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