My question relates to the reception class in St. Joseph's Co-Educational Primary School in East Wall in Dublin 3. A reception class has been running there since 1984. It is in its 43rd year. It is a pre-junior infants class, so effectively there is a three-year infant cycle. It was one of four pioneering schools that has run such a class. Now there is only one school in the country providing such a reception class. The fantastic thing about this reception class is that it is not like preschool or a crèche . It is about the first step in adapting to the school environment in disadvantaged communities, such as my own in Dublin Central and particularly in East Wall, which is a really diverse community that has had many decades of disadvantage. That reception class is critically important in affording children the ability to access supports for language development, school readiness and transition into junior infants. We know that not every child going into junior infants in this country goes in as an equal. There is no level playing field. Some children, particularly in more advantaged families go into primary school with far greater social and educational skills, but it is different in other areas. In particular we know there is uneven access to literacy and numeracy for preschool-going children. The reality is that this is a very important class that has worked well for many decades in St. Joseph's Co-Educational Primary School. Earlier this year, the school was told that it was going to lose the post that allows it to continue running that class, which would have a devastating impact for many across the community. The reality is we do not have many preschools in the East Wall area. We have two preschools, and then you have to go as far as Seán McDermott Street to access the next preschool. There is a huge gap in the area, but that alone is not a justification for holding on to the reception class. The reception class does amazing work. The Holy Child Pre-School in Rutland Street, which started as a pilot, has performed a similar and brilliant role over many decades but it has been left in limbo by the Department. There has been a reduction in the early intervention classes being run out of primary schools in recent years. I passionately believe these classes have a very important role particularly in disadvantaged communities. Will there be ongoing certainty for St. Joseph's in East Wall with regard to the continuation of that reception class into the future? It has certainty for the coming school year but not beyond that. There is an enormous appetite and demand within the local community to ensure that the reception class, albeit that it is unique across the education system, continues long into the future to support children to adapt to the primary school environment.

Sentiment score: 0.12

My request is that the Department show ambition, particularly regarding communities where not every child goes to school equal at the age of five. The role and value of the reception class is critical, not just for the East Wall area and it should be looked at in other areas. It is also important to say, as I understand it, this is not the first time there has been a wobble in the Department about the reception class for St. Joseph's. The class started 43 years ago. It was terminated around 1999-2000 but the Department reinstated it in 2002. That is the critical thing. This class has worked for generations of people in East Wall. It has worked for other schools as well. Unfortunately, it was taken away in other schools. The Department needs to seriously look at and build on the work of DEIS plus and all that, by looking at particular schools and the transition into the primary school system. While the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme is fantastic, it is a one size fits all and that is not good enough, nor should it be the height of ambition for the Department of education. Particularly in disadvantaged communities and diverse fast-growing communities like East Wall, it is critical we hear from the Department that it is willing to continue funding the post and this class long into the future. The teachers tell me they can see the results when a child goes into junior infants and that has to be recognised and broadened out in the education system.

Sentiment score: -0.01