A couple of questions on Early Childhood Care & Education, ECCE, training?

sonya7

Hello, I have a few questions and wondering whether anyone knows the answers please. I'm early 40's, I have a couple of tertiary academic qualifications (not degrees) from foreign universities and I'm in (hopefully) my final semester of a Humanities BA (nothing to do with Childcare or Education) I study for it online with a university abroad. My questions are:

If you get a Level 5 FETAC Major Award in ECCE (Early Childhood Care & Education) how can you "bridge" that to a Level 6 in ECCE? Or add Montessori modules? Or is there no bridging/addition option, do you have to do an entirely new Level 6 or ECCE & Montessori course from scratch?

If you get a Level 6 in ECCE can someone, if they want to, and if they have the gusto and the moula, open their own childcare facility? Don't squint at me when I say it but the terminology confuses me: pre-school, creche, kindergarten, nursery....is it essentially all the same? How do you describe the ECCE setting, I guess pre-school is best? Yes, I'm new to all this.

I read elsewhere on Boards that if you study Montessori with St.Nicholas' or AMI that qualification is recognised internationally? Does that mean if you studied ECCE with Montessori with another provider, one which doesn't take years to complete and is cheaper, that that QQI/FETAC qualification isn't recognised internationally (Canada, Oz, NZ, UK, US)?

Just one last question, what about these online/distance learning versions with various providers? They can be quite a bit cheaper. Would you recommend them or steer clear? Personally I'd prefer the part time classroom based options but online/distance is tempting given the prices but not sure, doing online learning you can feel a little isolated, and time management and self direction can slip sometimes. Thanks.

Moonbeam

sonya7 wrote: »

Hello, I have a few questions and wondering whether anyone knows the answers please. I'm early 40's, I have a couple of tertiary academic qualifications (not degrees) from foreign universities and I'm in (hopefully) my final semester of a Humanities BA (nothing to do with Childcare or Education) I study for it online with a university abroad. My questions are:

If you get a Level 5 FETAC Major Award in ECCE (Early Childhood Care & Education) how can you "bridge" that to a Level 6 in ECCE? Or add Montessori modules? Or is there no bridging/addition option, do you have to do an entirely new Level 6 or ECCE & Montessori course from scratch?

If you get a Level 6 in ECCE can someone, if they want to, and if they have the gusto and the moula, open their own childcare facility? Don't squint at me when I say it but the terminology confuses me: pre-school, creche, kindergarten, nursery....is it essentially all the same? How do you describe the ECCE setting, I guess pre-school is best? Yes, I'm new to all this.

I read elsewhere on Boards that if you study Montessori with St.Nicholas' or AMI that qualification is recognised internationally? Does that mean if you studied ECCE with Montessori with another provider, one which doesn't take years to complete and is cheaper, that that QQI/FETAC qualification isn't recognised internationally (Canada, Oz, NZ, UK, US)?

Just one last question, what about these online/distance learning versions with various providers? They can be quite a bit cheaper. Would you recommend them or steer clear? Personally I'd prefer the part time classroom based options but online/distance is tempting given the prices but not sure, doing online learning you can feel a little isolated, and time management and self direction can slip sometimes. Thanks.

I am out at the moment but will explain it all to you when I have a laptop .
Yes , you can open your own pre school with Fetac l6 .
Ecce is 0-6 so yes are school ,playschool and crèches .

Moonbeam

sonya7 wrote: »

Hello, I have a few questions and wondering whether anyone knows the answers please. I'm early 40's, I have a couple of tertiary academic qualifications (not degrees) from foreign universities and I'm in (hopefully) my final semester of a Humanities BA (nothing to do with Childcare or Education) I study for it online with a university abroad. My questions are:

If you get a Level 5 FETAC Major Award in ECCE (Early Childhood Care & Education) how can you "bridge" that to a Level 6 in ECCE? Or add Montessori modules? Or is there no bridging/addition option, do you have to do an entirely new Level 6 or ECCE & Montessori course from scratch?

If you get a Level 6 in ECCE can someone, if they want to, and if they have the gusto and the moula, open their own childcare facility? Don't squint at me when I say it but the terminology confuses me: pre-school, creche, kindergarten, nursery....is it essentially all the same? How do you describe the ECCE setting, I guess pre-school is best? Yes, I'm new to all this.

I read elsewhere on Boards that if you study Montessori with St.Nicholas' or AMI that qualification is recognised internationally? Does that mean if you studied ECCE with Montessori with another provider, one which doesn't take years to complete and is cheaper, that that QQI/FETAC qualification isn't recognised internationally (Canada, Oz, NZ, UK, US)?

Just one last question, what about these online/distance learning versions with various providers? They can be quite a bit cheaper. Would you recommend them or steer clear? Personally I'd prefer the part time classroom based options but online/distance is tempting given the prices but not sure, doing online learning you can feel a little isolated, and time management and self direction can slip sometimes. Thanks.

Fetac l5 is a very basic qualification on par with leaving certificate standard,the Fetac l6 is the follow on more advanced qualification.
You can do the L5 in a year and the L6 in a year as well if you wanted to,or skip the level 5 and just do level 6.
With the QQI it is alot easier to travel with qualifications - http://www.fetac.ie/fetac/documents/Travelling.pdf


http://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/ is a good resource.

NUIM have a fantastic course but it is very hard to get in to with most applicants having Fetac L6 and experience.
http://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/training-and-education/ba-in-early-childhood-teaching-and-learning/

ITC and ITB also run degree courses.

A nursery is the same as a creche
Play school tends to be younger kids.
Pre school tends to be the year before school funded under the ECCE scheme and can be montessori but does not have to be.


I should add the wages are extremely bad in this sector in Ireland