KENTVILLE, NS - More children in the Annapolis Valley and across Nova Scotia will benefit from the early learning opportunities provided through pre-primary classes this fall.
The provincial government has announced that 130 new pre-primary classes will be added in 87 school communities across Nova Scotia. Premier Stephen McNeil said the first year of the program has been a success with more than 800 four-year-olds and their families benefiting.
“We want our children to have a strong foundation for school regardless of where they live or what their socio-economic background. Pre-primary provides just that,” McNeil said.
This year, the Department of Education will be seeking a partnership with a licensed child care provider to deliver pre-primary as a pilot project in Kings County. Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Zach Churchill said the intention is to always deliver pre-primary in schools but when space is an issue, partnering with the community makes sense and would serve families well.
“The demand from families for a program in more communities is high and delivering the program through a licensed child care provider may give more children in Nova Scotia the opportunity, more quickly, to have access to this program,” Churchill said.
The expansion of pre-primary will create more opportunities for early childhood educators, as the program will be rolled out province wide by September 2020. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is partnering with Nova Scotia Works Employment Services and the Department of Labour and Advanced Education to attract and recruit early childhood educators to Nova Scotia.
Families who live within a school community that is offering pre-primary and wish to register their child for the program can contact their local school board to learn more about the registration process.
Annapolis Valley Regional School Board (AVRSB) schools in Kings County delivering the pre-primary program this fall include L.E. Shaw Elementary School in Avonport, Cambridge Elementary School in Cambridge, Coldbrook and District School in Coldbrook, Aldershot Elementary in Aldershot, Kings County Academy in Kentville (in partnership with a licensed child care operator off site from the school) and Port Williams Elementary School in Port Williams.
AVRSB schools in Annapolis County delivering the program this fall include Bridgetown Regional Community School in Bridgetown, Clark Rutherford Elementary in Cornwallis Park, Champlain Elementary School in Granville Ferry and Lawrencetown Consolidated School in Lawrencetown.
AVRSB schools in Hants County offering the program this fall include Dr. Arthur Hines Elementary School in Summerville and Three Mile Plains District School.
Conseil scolaire acadien provincial will deliver the pre-primary program through its Grandir en francais program. In Kings County, Ecole Rose-des-Vents in Greenwood will be delivering the program.
For more information, visit www.ednet.ns.ca/pre-primary.
