Sir, - I was delighted to read (Education & Living, March 24th) that the Government has made a commitment to move towards a national policy on early childhood education. This is long overdue. For some years now I have been listening each September to the heart-rending cries of the "new" four-year-olds wailing at the thought of leaving mother. Our Irish children start formal schooling too young - and I believe that this is because we cannot supply any State-supported pre-school facilities for our children. The 1994 Early Start Programme exists only for schools categorised as disadvantaged (previously called "deprived") schools. The remaining "advantaged" schools have to exist without the educational advantage of the Early Start Programme.
While the national forum on education aims to have submissions towards what is hoped will be a White Paper by the end of the year, I feel that if the junior and senior infant classes pupil/teacher ratio could be lowered from 35/1 to 30/1 immediately, we would go a long way towards investing in our nation's future. With increased prosperity, we must make adjustments accordingly and make them quickly. A year is a very long and very important time when you're aged between two and six years! - Yours, etc.,
Brenda Morgan
Asgard Park, Howth, Co Dublin.