To ask the Minister of Education, under current legislation, (i) whether parents can place their child in a private pre-school for an additional year; and if so, (ii) to detail the circumstances which allow this to take place.

Current legislation does not enable parents to defer their child's starting age. Article 45 of the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986 states that the parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him/her to receive full time education suitable to his/her age, ability, aptitude and to any special educational needs he/she may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

The most common way that parents do this is by sending their child to school when they reach compulsory school age. However, parents can decide to make their own arrangements when their child reaches compulsory school age and attendance at a non-funded/private pre-school may form part of these arrangements. Parents making these arrangements would be required to meet the cost of a pre-school place.

If at any stage it appears to the Education Authority (EA) that a parent is not meeting the duty as set out above, the EA will write to the parents asking them to demonstrate that their child is receiving suitable full time education.