Parents are likely to be worried about the education system in Ireland after it was revealed that a number of people working in pre-schools are not qualified.

According to children's minister Barry Andrews, many staff in the pre-school sector are badly paid and do not have the proper credentials to educate children going on to primary schools, the Irish Independent reported.

He was speaking after a recent study revealed that 30 per cent of staff have no qualifications in Early Childhood Care and Education as a lot of trained teachers are being discouraged from working in pre-schools due to the low pay.

Speaking with the newspaper, Mary Moloney, a student studying a PHD in Education, said: "It is incomprehensible that in 21st century Ireland there is still no mandatory training requirement for this sector."

This comes after it was revealed earlier this month that the Department of Education has spent less than a quarter of its school budget.

Fine Gael deputy for Dublin South West Brian Hayes hit out at the department, saying that the wasted finances could have helped improve the education system in Ireland.

Posted by Donal Walsh 

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