Government urged to invest more in pre-school education

THE Government must invest more in pre-school education to increase quality and access, an expert said yesterday.

A recent international report found that only 40% of funding for pre-primary education in Ireland comes from the State, compared to an average of 83% in other member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

It also showed that just 26% of Irish three and four-year-olds were enrolled in education, compared to a 63% average in other developed nations.