Call for supports for school children

Traveller children and children who have English as their second language are less likely to be “school ready”, according to new research which also argues that more supports are needed to help better prepare children for the start of primary education.

The research, conducted by Dr Maire Hanniffy and presented to the School of School of Political Science and Sociology at NUI Galway, also found some concern over class sizes as well as widespread support for the free preschool year and its extension to two years.

The research involved interviews with 20 caregivers, 16 educators, 88 children who took part in the ‘Draw and Tell’ technique, and the completion of early development instruments for 46 children aged between three years and 11 months and five years and five months at the start of September 2013, with the focus on Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (Deis) schools in the West of Ireland.

According to the study, children seem more comfortable when they are capable of using the toilet and washing their hands when they are starting school.

Primary school educators suggested that approximately half the children in the class are insufficiently prepared while the caregivers largely believe their children are ready.

The report states: “Taking into consideration a child’s readiness and the role of chronological age, five years old is suggested as a minimum age of entry by many of the educators and in the meantime a cut-off point should be implemented for children in the lower age range.”

Uninterested caregivers are cited as a reason why some children are not prepared for school.

Regarding one sample, 42.5% of the children were considered vulnerable on at least one of the five scales linked to school readiness.

Statistically significant differences were revealed between children with English as a second language and those with it as a first language; between Traveller children and non-Traveller children; between children who attended preschool and those who did not; and between children from families dependent on social welfare payments and those whose families are not dependent on social welfare payments.

There were no statistically significant differences found in relation to other factors, such as hours of sleep, hours of TV viewed, or the frequency of reading with the children.

Recommendations based on the findings include implementing Aistear (Early Childhood Curriculum Framework) in all early childhood care and education settings and infant classes in primary school, and that the school entry age policy, unchanged since 1936, is reviewed as “Ireland remains in the minority of countries that allow children to start primary school at the age of four”.

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