Press Release re CECDE

St Patrick’s College wishes to express its shock and disappointment at the decision to close the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education. The decision reverses a key – perhaps the key – policy commitment in the White Paper on Early Childhood Education, Ready to Learn (pp133-4).  It represents a significant set-back for the early childhood sector and, in particular, the promotion of consistent, high quality standards in this crucial area.

In a short period of time, the CECDE had made a substantial contribution to the development of policy and practice in early childhood care and education, advising on policy, developing quality standards, promoting research and providing assistance and advice to a range of agencies and bodies at local, community and national level. 

In the current financial situation, the College accepts and supports the need for rationalisation across the public sector .  However decisions should be based on careful and systematic review and cost-benefit analysis. The decision to close the CECDE was not based on any meaningful assessment or review of its operations or performance. The Centre was highly efficient and cost-effective. Its closure is a retrograde step which will result in an immediate loss of invaluable expertise developed and nurtured over the past six years. 

The Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE) which is located on the Campus of St Patrick’s College was established in 2002 by the then Minister for Education and Science, Michael Woods.  It is a partnership between the Dublin Institute of Technology, St Patrick's College, Drumcondra and the Department of Education and Science.  The Director of the Centre is Heino Schonfeld.   It has a staff complement of seven.

The aim of the CECDE was to develop and co-ordinate early childhood education in pursuance of the objectives of the White Paper 'Ready to Learn' and to advise the Department of Education and Science on policy issues in this area. The Centre's brief covered children from birth to 6 years of age in a wide variety of settings, including families, nurseries, crèches, playgroups, child minders, preschools and the infant classes of primary schools.

The main objectives of the Centre were:

• To develop a quality framework for early childhood education;
• To develop targeted interventions on a pilot basis for children who are educationally disadvantaged and children with special needs; and
• To prepare the groundwork for the establishment of an Early Childhood Education Agency as envisaged by the White Paper.

The CECDE had an agreed work programme with actions and outputs specified in detail which relate to each of its functions.  Over the past six years, considerable progress has been achieved in all of these areas. For example, the Centre designed and piloted measures to encourage compliance with those quality standards by early education providers.

Quality early educational and care experiences provide not just a pretext for lifelong learning, but are valued as essential responses to children's needs and rights. The CECDE's brief was comprehensive and bridged many traditional divides. In carrying out its functions, it consulted on an ongoing basis with relevant agencies, groups, advisory bodies and providers of early childhood education. To this end, a Consultative Committee informed interested participants of developments in relation to the project;  gave them the opportunity to present their views and  provided a forum for discussion of issues related to early childhood education.  With the closure of the Centre, a vital piece of national infra-structure is now being dis-assembled.

Outlining the background to the initiative, the then Minister (Dr. Woods) said, “the Government recognises the value of early childhood education, particularly in tackling educational disadvantage. Research has shown that quality early education can have a highly significant impact on children’s capacity to cope with the transition to formal schooling and provides lasting cognitive and social benefits that persist throughout adolescence and adulthood. The project which I have now launched is an important step in the development of such high quality early education”. 

Closure of the Centre is a step backwards.

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Last Updated: Tuesday September 23 2008