The age at which children start preschool will be reduced, following a decision by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

The decision sees the age children will start compulsory education drop by eight months.

The change will be implemented in three stages.

In the 2023-2024 school year, the age for admission to compulsory pre-primary education will become two months younger than currently, while in the 2024-2025 school year it will fall by a further two months.

In the 2025-2026 school year the project will be fully implemented by extending the admission age by a further four months.