Minister Zappone launches Ireland’s first Early Childhood Research Centre

Ireland’s first Early Childhood Research Centre - aiming to place Ireland at the centre of the global map of early childhood research

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone, TD officially launched Ireland’s first ever dedicated research centre for early childhood last night (Monday, November 19th). The Early Childhood Research Centre (ECRC) at DCU’s Institute of Education aims to place Ireland at the centre of the global map of early childhood research.

The centre will actively promote close collaboration between research, policy and practice in the field, both nationally and internationally, and will build upon the existing expertise of the DCU Institute of Education, the only faculty of education on the island of Ireland; an Institute that provides teacher education and research for every level of education.

The establishment of the Early Childhood Research Centre at DCU follows on from the appointment of Professor Mathias Urban as the Desmond Chair in Early Childhood Education in September 2017.

It is the only early childhood research chair at an Irish university and aims to spearhead research that will have a transformative impact on public policy and practice in this sector. The establishment of the chair was made possible through the generosity of businessman and philanthropist Dermot Desmond, and is a reflection of the significance of the early years for educational success, personal well-being and social cohesion.

Professor Urban, who will lead the ECRC, is a world expert and thought leader in the field of early childhood research, renowned for his contributions in international early childhood policy and professional practice.

He most recently presented to the 2018 T20 Summit (Think 20 – a network of research institutes and think tanks for the G20 countries) in Buenos Aires, where he highlighted that early childhood education requires a more coordinated approach to governance, resourcing, professional preparation and evaluation.

Access to high quality early childhood development, education and care is recognised as key to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The ECRC will continue to lead the early childhood policy brief during Japan’s presidency of the 2019 G20 summit.

The official centre launch coincided with the Inaugural Lecture of the Desmond Chair in Early Childhood Education delivered by Prof Urban last night.

“It takes more than a village- the local, the global, and the imaginary in early childhood education,” addressed the current context pertaining to childhood education and care nationally and internationally.

“Early childhood education is important, beneficial, and, if organised well, highly effective.”

“It is important that we understand what are the real experiences of all children and families in early childhood settings and beyond. We need to address questions such as what experiences do we as society want them to have now and in the future? What kind of services can and should we provide, locally and nationally, to value our collective responsibility to care for and educate young children and who should provide them?”

In a wide ranging address, Prof Urban also addressed the concept of “Competent Systems in Early Childhood” looking at how the various actors (human and institutional) in early childhood education and care interact and come together and how such systems can be developed and improved upon in order to ensure a more just and equitable childhood experience. He outlined that this framework will underpin the approach taken by the ECRC.

“Our ambition is to systematically connect the global and local at all levels of the early childhood system: practice, policy and research. We aim to respond to developments in the Irish early childhood education care system and to place Ireland firmly on the global map of international early childhood education research.”

Speaking at the launch of the Early Childhood Research Centre at DCU, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone, TD said:

“Early Learning and Care (ELC) has come a long way in the last decade in this country. With the launch of First 5, A Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, this next decade will see further reform.

The establishment of the Early Childhood Research Centre and the appointment of a Chair in Early Childhood Education are very welcome developments. Professor Urban is a renowned leader in this field and I commend DCU for making this appointment. I look forward to the valuable work being undertaken here to help further inform policies which will deliver for generations of Irish families to come."

Speaking at the event, President of DCU, Prof Brian MacCraith said:

“DCU is committed to engaging in research that will have a transformative impact on lives and societies. We were proud to establish the Desmond Chair in Early Childhood Education, the first university Chair in Ireland dealing with this topic, made possible through generous philanthropic support. The establishment of the centre is another important milestone and a reflection of our commitment to the area of early childhood education.

As educators, we are fully cognisant of the critical nature of the early childhood years and the impact of experiences during these formative years. Through both the Chair and the Centre, we will endeavour to contribute positively to debate and policy development in this area and crucially provide strategic leadership to adopt a new comprehensive systematic approach to early childhood.”