Sir, – Having lived in France over 20 years, I was reminded of my son starting pre-school as I read the article “Junior infants ‘overprepared in numeracy and literacy’” (News, August 25th).
Having previously worked as a primary school teacher here, French people invariably asked if I was a pre-school or primary school teacher as both in France have equivalent status.
Since free education begins there from age three, practically all children start pre-school in September of the year they reach three years, and some are as young as 2½ years in September. Homework does not feature until age six, the equivalent of first class here in Ireland. At this stage, French children move to the adjoining primary school. Our junior infants, on the other hand, take little picture books home with a homework folder and written instructions for parents.
The French pre-school programme, standardised throughout the country, has a long history. It is highly structured for each class. Qualified teachers design detailed lesson plans where children learn in a playful setting. The school day has intervals of free-play, including a longer one at lunchtime. Each teacher has an assigned and much-valued classroom assistant, without whom it would not be possible to function in a calm environment.
While artistic, musical, sensory and coordination skills are developed each year, a large part of the programme for three-year-olds features language development, socialisation and especially autonomy. Pre-reading and pre-writing skills, taught through fun, form a large part of the programmes for four- and five-year-olds so that a child is not handed a book until at age six. Books once introduced are fewer, “on loan” for a year and are passed to for the following year’s pupils.
The pre-school day is longer than here, allowing the three-year-olds a short nap in the afternoon after a three-course wholesome lunch taken in a refectory (menu available for parents in advance) where classroom assistants help children to eat properly.
Meals are paid for each term according to your means based on your tax returns. A snack and drink, supplied monthly in advance by parents in turn, is provided at 10am and another after naptime.
The Irish educational system can learn a lot from other educational systems in order to maintain our high standards. – Yours, etc,
TERESA FLYNN,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.