Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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247. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will implement a national implementation programme for Síolta, Aistear and the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56712/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the majority of support for pre-school provision is funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. My Department's role is to work in partnership with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to improve the quality of pre-school provision.

My Department has funded two sets of national practice guidelines that have been developed to support the development of high quality in early childhood education; Aistear, the early childhood curriculum framework and Síolta, the national quality framework for early childhood education. Síolta has been implemented on a trial basis by working with the Voluntary Childcare Organisations and other structures funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Aistear is being implemented through existing structures funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs working in partnership with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. To bring a national focus to the implementation of these practice guidelines, all training courses at Levels 4, 5 and 6 in early Childhood Care and Education developed in accordance with the new Common Award Standards, must reference Síolta and Aistear. Any new graduates from Levels 4, 5 and 6 should be able to incorporate Síolta and Aistear into their childcare practice.

There is a national implementation programme for the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy and this is being overseen by a High Level implementation group led by my Department.