Full time pre-school for NI 'could take 10 years'

Casey McGivern with her son

It could take up to 10 years to give all children in Northern Ireland a "full-time" place in pre-school.

That is according to an independent study commissioned by the Department of Education.

Education Minister Paul Givan has appealed to pre-schools for "patience" over the move.

There are currently more than 22,500 children in nursery schools and pre-schools in Northern Ireland.

Fewer than half of those children go to pre-school for 4.5 hours a day with the majority going "part-time" for 2.5 hours a day.

Mr Givan recently announced that all children would be entitled to attend pre-school "full-time" for 22.5 hours a week as part of a wider strategy for childcare and early years.

'Concerns expressed'

The Northern Ireland Executive has decided to spend an initial £25m on helping parents with childcare costs, which includes £5m to increase hours for pupils in pre-school.

But the Department of Education-commissioned study estimated that the long-term move to give all children 22.5 hours a week of pre-school will cost Stormont between £242m and £337m over the next decade.

That includes paying for more staff, toys and play equipment, refurbishment of existing buildings and opening new pre-schools.

There could be a need for around 1,000 new pre-school places and about 50 new pre-schools.

The study said that the transition to full-time "is assumed to take place over a 10-year period".

Education Minister Paul Givan has appealed to pre-schools for "patience" over the move

Pre-school and early years education staff who spoke to the report's authors also said the move "should take place over a five to 10 year period".

"Most of them expressed concerns that standardisation would be made compulsory across the board without an adequate notice period and that settings would be expected to introduce the extended day without having enough time to make the necessary adjustments," the report said.

One pre-school staff member told the authors: "I think what they're going to have to do is be realistic about how long this project is going to take."

There are currently more than 22,500 children in nursery schools and pre-schools in Northern Ireland

'Most significant expansion'

Most pre-school staff who responded to a survey conducted for the report said that overall they were in favour of the move to 22.5 hours a week.

Some pre-school leaders have previously expressed concern at the rising costs they face and the level of funding they get, especially in the voluntary or non-statutory sector.

In a letter to pre-schools, Mr Givan said that the evidence for giving all children 22.5 hours a week in pre-school "is strong in terms of its impact on supporting social and emotional development and preparing children for school".

He said the move to full-time would be the "most significant expansion of early years developmental provision in over 25 years".

But he told schools that "this will require careful planning and implementation over a period of time and so I ask for your patience in this regard."

The minister said that he hoped that an additional 2,200 children would move to going to pre-school for 22.5 hours a week by September 2025.

'Burden of childcare'

Casey McGivern is one of the founders of Melted Parents NI, a group of parents who campaign for better childcare provision.

She welcomed the plan for 22.5 hours of pre-school a week for every child in Northern Ireland.

"However, we are also of the view that this is not childcare and it's not an answer to the childcare crisis," she told BBC News NI.

"It doesn't make much of a difference to the burden of childcare for families."

She said "bills don't really change, regardless of a full-time place in preschool or not".

"So a really welcome announcement, but we are firmly of the view that this isn't childcare and it's not a solution for now, which is what families need," she added.

"We've known that this will take some time and I suppose that leaves us wondering why it was announced in the way that it was.

"It's a big job."

Fiona Campbell also welcomed the move to 22.5 hours a week

Fiona Campbell is the manager and owner of Happy Faces nursery in Silverbridge.

She also welcomed the move to 22.5 hours a week.

"I think the 22.5 hours, the same as the schools, would be much better and it would make us all feel very equal," she said.

"I'll be ready for it in September if it's needed.

"I don't understand why it would take so long.

"Though maybe there's some community settings that wouldn't have kitchens to be able to provide the free school meals, but I don't know if that's why.

"We would be fine for the meals, because we're attached to a nursery and we already have the cooks in the kitchen and everything in place."

She also told BBC News NI that children being in pre-school for 4.5 hours a day could make the cost of wrap-around care for parents "more affordable".