As details of Budget 2022 emerged last weekend, I dared to hope. Hope that the budget would signal a new beginning for early childhood professionals, for parents, but most importantly young children. For decades, I have advocated for the rights of children to quality Early Childhood Education and Care, and the rights of early childhood...
February 2, 2021 Dear Members, Friday February 5ᵗʰ marks the one year anniversary of the Together For Early Years march in Dublin in 2020. To mark the anniversary, and to remind Government that much work remains to ensure quality early childhood experiences for children, value our early years educators, ensure affordability for parents and sustainability for service...
As I commence my role as President of OMEP Ireland, I reflect upon the birth of OMEP at a World Conference on Early Childhood Education in Prague, in 1948. At that conference, the new organisation, OMEP was recognised then, as it is now, as the principal mechanism to bring people together from all over the...
OMEP Ireland is delighted to announce the election of Dr Mary Moloney as President of OMEP Ireland Dr Moloney is very well known and highly-respected, nationally and internationally in the field of early childhood care and education (ECCE). She is a researcher, author and lecturer in early childhood education and care at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick....
In The Name of Passion The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of OMEP Ireland. As a graduate coming into the Early Childhood sector, I have spent some time in a variety of settings over my time studying, in Ireland and...
Is There a Future for ECEC Graduates in the Sector? For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to work with preschool children. I was not concerned by the low pay in early childhood education and care (ECEC). I was focused on children, their education, and care. However, while doing my degree, my...
In the past number of years, policy in Ireland has increasingly focused on supporting the development of early maths skills. The Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (DES, 2017a), STEM Education Policy (DES, 2017b) STEM implementation plan (DES, 2017c) and updated Early Years Education-focused Inspection criteria have positioned the development of maths skills as critical in ECEC....
Our annual conference will take place in November, 2019. Details to follow. For enquiries regarding presenting please contact info@omepireland.ie Our keynote speakers this year were Dr. Sylvia C. Chard (The Project Approach) and Lyndsey Hellyn & Stephanie Bennett — co-founders of The Curiosity Approach™. It was an exciting conference packed with practice-based and academic research! However, it was the...
OMEP Ireland is delighted to announce that in June 2018 at the 70th World Assembly in Prague, Dr Rosaleen Murphy was elected as a lifelong honorary member of OMEP — the World Organisation for Early Childhood Education. This honorary membership recognises the outstanding contribution that Dr. Murphy has made to early education, OMEP Ireland, and...
What is OMEP? OMEP is an international, non-governmental and non-profit organisation concerned with all aspects of Early Childhood Education and Care. OMEP Ireland is a registered charity dedicated to promoting the well-being of all children and their right to high quality early childhood education and care. The mission of OMEP Ireland is to raise awareness of...