MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH MEETING OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE IN ENNISKILLEN LIBRARY, ON THURSDAY 27 JUNE 2002

Present:
Mr D Kennedy (Chairman)
Mr S Wilson (Deputy Chairman)
Mrs E Bell
Mr T Gallagher
Mr O Gibson
Mr B McElduff
Mr G McHugh

Apologies:
Mr J Fee
Mr T Hamilton
Mr A Maginness
Mr K Robinson

In Attendance:
Mr C McGarrity (Committee Clerk)
Mrs V Artt (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Ms M Austin (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Ms A Montgomery (Assembly Research Directorate )

The Committee met at 10.35 a.m. in public session.

The Chairman welcomed Mr Ciaran McGarrity, Clerk to the Committee for Procedures to the meeting as acting Clerk.

1. Evidence Session on Early Years Learning with representatives of the Western Education and Library Board and the Western Education and Library Board Pre-school Education Advisory Group

The Chairman expressed the Committee's pleasure at being in Enniskillen for its meeting. He welcomed the members of the public who had attended and advised them that they would be afforded an opportunity to address the Committee in relation to Early Years Learning at the end of the meeting. The Chairman then welcomed Mr Joseph Martin, Chief Executive, Mr Paddy Mackey, Senior Adviser, Mrs Nuala Heaney, Early Years Adviser, Ms Siobhan O'Hanlon, Pre-School Education Advisory Group and Miss Jenny Boyd, Principal, Enniskillen Nursery School to the meeting to give oral evidence on the Western Education and Library Board's submission to the Committee Inquiry into Early Years Learning. This was followed by a question and answer session. The main issues discussed included:

• existing Early Years policies and strategic objectives;
• inter-Agency collaboration and how this could be improved;
• the implications of current research on Early Years Learning;
• the role of parents as educators and how this partnership could be encouraged and supported;
• the resources required to ensure that all children, including those with special needs, received an equitable standard of provision;
• the need for seamless progression between Pre-school and Primary school;
• the skills required for future learning and how can be developed further;
• the difficulties experienced under the current pre-school admissions criteria and the need for these to be revisited; and
• the need for investment in infrastructure and training and a strategic approach for the future.

Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in due course

2. Evidence Session on Early Years Learning with representatives of the Western Area Childcare Partnership

The Chairman welcomed Mr Colm Elliott, Childcare Partnership Co-ordinator and Mr Sean McBride, Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education to the meeting to give oral evidence on the Western Area Childcare Partnership's submission to the Committee Inquiry into Early Years Learning. This was followed by a question and answer session. The main issues discussed included:

• the need for an integrated approach to Early Years;
• the importance of involving and supporting parents and communities in Early Years learning;
• the inequalities in funding between the statutory and voluntary sector;
• the need for parental choice in the type of provision available;
• the need to identify appropriate models to meet the needs of children in isolated communities; and
• the use of accredited schemes to ensure appropriate staff training and the maintenance of standards.

Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in due course.

3. Evidence Session on Early Years Learning with representatives of the Primary Principals Association of Northern Ireland

The Chairman welcomed Mr David Canning, Principal, Strabane Controlled Primary School, Mrs Joey Murphy, Principal, St Dymphna's Primary School and Mr Finton Murphy, Vice-Principal, St Joseph's Primary School to the meeting to give oral evidence on the Primary Principals' Association's submission to the Committee Inquiry into Early Years Learning. This was followed by a question and answer session. The main issues discussed included:

• how inadequate funding for Key Stage One impacts on children throughout their schooling;
• the inequality of provision between urban and rural areas;
• the difficulties caused by the current pre-school admissions criteria;
• the need to cost at classroom level the CCEA proposals for a Foundation Stage;
• classroom assistants hours and retention difficulties caused by changes to these; and
• the pressures put on classroom teachers by new initiatives.

Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in due course.

Mrs Bell left the meeting at 12.30 p.m. and Mr Gallagher left at 12.40 p.m.

4. Evidence session on Early Years Learning by representatives of the Northern Ireland Child Minding Association

The Chairman welcomed Ms Bridget Nodder, Director and Ms Susan Dunne, Regional Development Manager to the meeting to give oral evidence on the Northern Ireland Child Minding Association's submission to the Committee Inquiry into Early Years Learning. This was followed by a question and answer session. The main issues discussed included:

• the need for all child minders to be registered and for basic preparatory training to be mandatory;
• the need to raise the esteem of childminders to encourage adequate provision especially in rural areas;
• equity of access for children with disabilities or special needs to home based care;
• difficulties caused by short-term and 'on-off' funding and the need for long term funding from the public sector for the work of voluntary organisations, and
• child protection issues.

Hansard recorded the evidence for publication in due course.

The Chairman invited comments on Early Years Provision from members of the public present. None were forthcoming.

5. Date and Time of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled for Thursday 4 July 2002 at 10.15 a.m. in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The Committee was adjourned at 1.05 p.m.

DANNY KENNEDY
Committee Chairman
July 2002