Learning early and often

It's a whole family approach that is designed with this community in mind A new project in Dublin's docklands aims to give local children a head start before they even get to school, writes  Louise Holden

Thanks to a new policy emphasis on lifelong learning, Irish adults have gained unprecedented access to learning in workplaces, colleges and universities. Yet there remains a yawning hole in lifelong learning provision. Early years education is pitifully resourced, and children from poor communities - those who have the most to gain from quality early education - have the least exposure to it.

For 80 families in Dublin's docklands, a new project created by the National College of Ireland (NCI) aims to address this imbalance. The Early Learning Initiative, launched last month, is the only project of its kind anywhere in the world. Funded by six donors from the construction industry, the project draws together the best of international research and practice in early years education and focuses on four parishes where economic and educational disadvantage is the norm.

Wealth and poverty share a rapidly developing space in the docklands. There are neighbourhoods where less than 10 per cent of local school leavers go to college. (Less than 10 miles south, in Foxrock, 90 per cent make the transition.) The National College of Ireland, which sits in the heart of the docklands, is building a reputation as a bridge between second and third level that offers genuine opportunities for all students, not just those from advantaged backgrounds.

The mission of the college is to raise the percentage of local people studying at third level, but access programmes are not enough, according to NCI president Paul Mooney.

"NCI tries to develop community-based solutions for the challenges our potential students face," said Mooney, who leads a college of 1,000 undergraduates studying accountancy, finance, human resources, industrial relations, computing and community studies. "We don't cherry-pick the brightest students from disadvantaged areas and give them scholarships. We want to bring in average students from this area, in much the same way that average students from wealthier areas get a chance to study at third level."

The board at NCI, which is made up of trade unions, employers, staff, students and members of the Jesuit Order that originally set up the college 50 years ago, has recognised for some time that getting non-traditional communities of students into third level is not easy. Educational disadvantage is a complex problem that requires a complex solution. One-off programmes at second level are not enough - encouraging a first generation of students into third level means starting early and intervening often.

Two years ago NCI began assembling the resources and expertise necessary for what is arguably the most ambitious early years education project ever undertaken in this country. Irish philanthropists have committed almost €6 million to fund a parent and child early-learning initiative involving 80 families over five years. All of the funding has come from the construction industry, and all six donors have been involved in building developments in the docklands area.

"NCI targeted its fundraising efforts at the construction industry because there has been so much development in this area over the last 10 years," Mooney said. "'Let's change the next generation' - it's an attractive proposition for someone who has done well out of the Celtic Tiger and wants to give something back, especially someone who has been directly involved in this area."

The donors, who are not seeking publicity from their contributions, are represented on the programme's board; a project manager is employed by the donors to manage their involvement.

An additional €500,000 has been granted under the Pobal Dormant Accounts Fund to undertake baseline research. This will be undertaken in partnership with St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, where a significant body of research into early childhood education initiatives has been carried out.

"This community-based educational project focuses on the role of parents as the key educators and motivators of children," said Mooney. "Instead of adopting one or two proven programmes from other jurisdiction, the programme involves a package of all the proven early childhood education interventions. It's a whole family approach that is designed with this community in mind."

From the early planning stages, the project drew on the knowledge, expertise and strengths of the people who live and work in the docklands. Local primary schools were engaged in work to expand the reading success of their young students, while parents from the community are trained as home visitors to help enhance verbal interaction skills in the family setting.

"Research in early learning has been developing for 50 years," Mooney said. "With the expertise of St Patrick's Drumcondra we have been able to put all the best bits of international research and practice together. There are 12 different components to the project, and they are being used in combination for the very first time through the Early Learning Initiative."

The target of the initiative is defined as the four parishes that comprise the lower docklands, north and south of the Liffey, encompassing Sheriff Street, East Wall, City Quay and Ringsend. There are 26 schools in the area, and NCI is trying to position itself as number 27, according to Mooney.

Overall management of the initiative lies with the National College of Ireland. But St Pat's, which is home to the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education, will provide specialist expertise and contribute to the overall direction of the project through membership of the ELI Review Board. In addition to the provision of an educational psychologist, based at National College of Ireland, St Pat's will provide a research consultancy service.

Provision of early childhood education in Ireland is described as "dismal" by Dr Philomena Donnelly, lecturer at St Patrick's College Drumcondra, and one of Ireland's leading researchers in early childhood education. "Compared to the OECD average," she said, "our spend on early years education is embarrassing. A whole strand of our education system is missing."

Dr Donnelly is excited about the Early Learning Initiative, which she sees as a rare attempt to construct an integrated early years development programme. "There are a number of parent and child programmes in operation around the country, but our concern is that none of them takes a coherent approach using all the proven components - home school links, quality of staff. We are delighted to be part of the Early Learning Initiative and we plan to feed into the project as it evolves, providing the advisory and research support that the initiative needs."

Mooney regards the initiative as a great example of co-operation between third level institutions, industry and the community.

"There are lessons here for regeneration projects in Cork, Limerick and elsewhere. Community-based solutions have always been part of our mission at NCI. Where you work in genuine partnership with the community you get results."