AQW 19556/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 09/12/2024
Answered On Date: 10/12/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education why children approved for deferred entry to statutory education in primary one are not permitted to complete a second year in a non-statutory preschool education setting.

Answer:

Children approved for deferred entry to statutory education in primary one are permitted to complete a second year in a non-statutory preschool education setting.

However, the law requires that children can only be prioritised as target age once within the pre-school admissions process. Therefore, any child who has attended or currently attends a funded pre-school education place as a final pre-school year child and applies for a second year of funded pre-school education would only be considered at Stage Two of the admissions process after target age applications have been considered and no guarantee can be given that they would obtain a place.