Education minister Jane Hutt confirmed last week that it would now beintroduced over four years.
The decision follows advice from the Foundation Phase ImplementationGroup, made up of local government representatives, early yearsspecialists, the teaching unions and Estyn, which held its secondmeeting last week.
The change means that the roll-out of the curriculum forthree- to-five-year-olds will take place over two years, with theFoundation Phase for three- to four-year-olds statutory from Septemberfor the 2008-09 school year.
In a written statement Ms Hutt said, 'This arrangement will allow thoseschools and local authorities which have already made good progresstowards the 1:8 adult: child ratio for all theirthree- to-five-year-olds, to implement the Foundation Phase curriculumon a non-statutory basis for four- to-five-year-olds from thisSeptember. It would also allow practitioners in mixed-age classes to doso with all their three- to five-year-olds.'
The ratios of 1:8 for three- to-five-year-olds and 1:15 for five- toseven-year-olds will stay in place.
Last month the Welsh Assembly Government pledged an extra 5m fordelivering the Foundation Phase.
The Welsh Local Government Association and the Association of Directorsof Education in Wales have said that even with the additional fundingthere will be a 10m funding shortfall (News, 15 May).
