Pre-school education ‘should be a priority’

MORE Government funding must be provided to give children access to pre-school education, an expert body has recommended.

In its annual report, the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) has expressed concern about the State’s low level of investment in early childhood education. Recent international reports have shown that public spending on pre-primary education is lower here than in most developed countries.

The NCC report, due to be published by Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin today, highlights this as one of a number of areas in the education sector which needs to be addressed.