Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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62. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way he envisages his Department interacting with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to make more seamless and develop specific numeracy and literacy skills in the transition of a child from ECCE, early childhood care and education, to first year in primary school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16543/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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There is extremely close cooperation between my Department and the NCCA and the DCYA in relation to these matters. The development of curriculums for both primary school and for early years education settings is the remit of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.  NCCA is currently consulting on the structure of the primary curriculum and how it may be more closely aligned with the Aistear curriculum framework. The Early Years Education Policy unit of my Department is co-located with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and advises DCYA on matters relating to educational quality and provision in early years.  Currently, the National Síolta Aistear Initiative is being rolled out across by my Department’s unit in partnership with the NCCA, DCYA, the City and County Childcare Committees and the National Voluntary Childcare Organisations. 

Since 2015, a new unit in my Department's inspectorate has piloted and is now nationally rolling out education-focussed early years inspections at the behest of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in ECCE settings.   Inspections against a quality framework examine educational issues including how educational transitions from ECCE into the primary school is prepared for. 

In addition, arising from recommendations in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy in 2011, the NCCA are developing templates so that educational information about a child will transfer from early years settings into primary school.  Extensive research and consultation has been completed and piloting of templates in a wide range of both early years settings and primary school is underway.  Full implementation of an agreed template is scheduled for 2018.