The CECDE has established a Consultative Committee to inform interested participants of developments in relation to our work, to give them the opportunity to present their views and to provide a forum for discussion of issues related to early childhood education.
Following on from the launch of Síolta: The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education in 2006, the CECDE is currently in the process of developing assessment procedures to complement the Framework and to allow the Centre to implement it. The CECDE is currently consulting on a Draft Self-assessment Instrument with members of its Consultative Committee. Following this consultation, the Assessment Procedures will be revised in the light of the feedback received and information will be posted here later this year.
For more information on these assessment procedures, please click here.
As we highlighted in the Winter 2006 edition of Alana, the CECDE has been working on developing a parents' guide to Síolta. This guide is intended to introduce and familiarise parents with the various elements of the National Quality Framework and to highlight its benefits in terms of their input into their child's education.
In March 2005, the CECDE held a consultation with a group of parent representatives from the County Childcare Committees and the National Parent’s Council in Dublin. The group gave their views as parents on the work of the CECDE, in particular the NQF Principles.
At a stage in the development process when the CECDE had completed much of the preparatory work involved in what has become known as the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, we consulted online with our stakeholders on the way in which the NQF should be presented and packaged as well as the way in which it should be disseminated.
We would like to thank all who contributed their views on the format and distribution of the NQF in our 2004 online consultation.
“Consultation with stakeholders will be a crucial part of the process of developing quality standards.” (Programme of Work, CECDE, 2001)
It was considered fundamental to the development of national quality standards that we actively sought the opinion and perspectives of all those who are interested and involved in the provision of early education for children in the birth to six age range. This series of consultations promoted:
Dialogue and discussion
Sharing of knowledge and expertise amongst a broad range of stakeholders
The development of consensus on core issues regarding quality
Relevance of quality standards for all stakeholders in all settings
Centre for Early Childhood Development & Education
Gate Lodge, St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. Tel: 00353 (0)1 8842110 Fax: 00353 (0)1 8842111
Email: early.childhood@spd.dcu.ie
