Claire Evans, principal of St Teresa’s Nursery School, west Belfast, is alarmed at the Stormont Executive’s draft childcare strategy. She hopes the strategy will be a game changer for the local childcare market. On March 1, Evans sent an open letter to Education Minister Paul Givan. In it, he reiterated a commitment to protect nursery education and improve access to childcare. As chair of the West Belfast area learning nursery cluster group, she heads up a collaborative environment between 24 nursery schools. She warns that the current momentum to make childcare universally available may jeopardize the high-quality early education that these institutions have pioneered.
Evans is not simply alarmed. He argues that the strategy is overly focused on opening new childcare facilities rather than on protecting long-standing nursery schools. She stated, “To lump all of us in to childcare is not fair to the public.” Evans underscored the value of expanding early years provision, especially following the pandemic. He was adamant that in this expansion, the quality of education offered by the well-established nursery schools should not be lost.
As the principal pointed out, west Belfast is a microcosm of the deeper issues at play all across Northern Ireland. These challenges are mostly rooted in legacy issues dating back to the Troubles. This heavy context makes today’s new and exciting discussions to advance childcare and early education, albeit necessary, much more complicated.
In Northern Ireland, the average fulltime formal childcare costs £57.6 per day per child. That all totals to just under £15,000 a year before tax and subsidy. This heavy cost burden brings up some critical questions. It worsens families’ access and affordability, particularly in areas where educational supports are already operating at capacity.
So it’s no wonder Evans passionately advocates for early years education. Her commitment is exemplified by her support for all children, such as Zara, born at just 26 weeks, who’s now doing well in a nursery school setting. “Going to nursery school has helped Zara thrive,” said Zara’s mother Leaine, who emphasized the importance of structure and routine provided by the nursery setting.
The draft national childcare strategy recommends an increase of 22.5 hours of ECE per week. This program focuses on every child during the year immediately preceding entry into primary school. Though Evans is in favor of this initiative, she argues that any expansion should not roll back what’s already in place. “We do support the expansion of that as long as it does not undermine the quality of the best provision,” she remarked.
Even with all these worries, Evans is hopeful about the future of nursery education. “We are fully supportive of a focus on early years because we know early intervention is key,” she stated, underscoring the importance of addressing the needs of children with special educational requirements.
As the consultation period for the draft strategy approaches its conclusion on Tuesday, Evans urges stakeholders to consider the implications of their decisions on nursery education and its vital role in a child’s early development.
“What parents need to know is that we are trying our best to protect the highest quality education for our children.” – Claire Evans
