Poor take to pre-schools

More young children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Northern Ireland are in pre-school education than ever before, a Department of Education report on educational participation has found. The report, New Targeting Social Need, published last week, analysed data from the years 1994/95 to 1999/2000 regarding children's participation in pre-school provision and secondary school in the Province. It found an increase in the number of children from disadvantaged areas in pre-school provision during this time, although the number of travellers' children in pre-school provision remained low.