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Contents
Chapter 1
Historical Development of the ECCE Sector in Ireland
1
Chapter 2
Legislation, Policies, Practices and Procedures
Chapter 3
Equality and Diversity in ECCE
131
Chapter 4
The Childcare Professional
145
Chapter 5
Early Care and Education Practice (5N1770): Assessment Guidelines 171
18
Appendices
182
References
204
Index
208
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1
Historical
Development of
the ECEC sector
in Ireland
CHAPTER OUTLINE
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History of ECEC provision in Ireland
ECEC services currently available in Ireland
Occupations within the childcare sector
Childcare organisations and non-governmental agencies
History of ECEC provision in Ireland
re-school education did not really exist in Ireland (apart from some exceptions) until the
1980s and 1990s. This was largely due to the fact that until quite recently the majority of
Irish women did not work outside the home. Even if they did, childcare was usually
provided by family members or childminders located in the community and known to the
family. Irish policy discouraged women from working outside the home. The ‘marriage bar’
meant that women working in the public service had to leave their jobs as soon as they got
married and become stay-at-home mothers and wives. This ban was lifted in 1957 for primary
school teachers, but it was 1973 before the ban was lifted for other women in the public
service.
Until recent years in Ireland, very few mothers worked outside the home. Therefore, there
was little focus on pre-school education in Ireland until the late 1980s and 1990s. Most of the
progress in the area of pre-school education in Ireland has come from the private rather than
the public sector.
P
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