Pre-Primary Program Details - Question Period
MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : My question is for the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Mr. Speaker, last year the government completed a review of regulated child care that included consultation with thousands of Nova Scotians. In the recommendations from that extensive review there is no mention of pre-Primary.
Since the government started with the rollout of its pre-Primary program we have heard from families worried that they don't know if or when the programs will start, child care providers who are concerned about losing staff and centres that have lost space. I'm not sure where the fire is, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, does the minister agree with families and child care providers that when it comes to programs for our children, it's more important to get things done right, not just to get things done?
HON. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, we have a problem in Nova Scotia; we know that pre-Primary education - because of research, evidence and other facts that have been presented by experts - is key to providing them a better start. It is linked to lower anxiety levels, it is linked to a better transition to an academic learning environment. It's key to screening for learning disabilities at a younger age so we can better prepare for those students.
Only 25 per cent of our kids of pre-school age in this province are accessing those critical programs, Mr. Speaker. While the Opposition Parties fight to maintain that status quo, I assure that member and every member in this House that we will move forward on an ambitious agenda because he have high ambitions for our kids.
MS. CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I suggest that's an agenda that may come at the cost of child care for all other ages in this province. One of the challenges identified by the 2016 review was the insufficient programming for children with diverse and special needs. When I wrote to the minister with my concerns about inclusion in pre-Primary, the minister's response was that the children in those programs would have access to the same supports they would have in regulated child care. I'll table that.
Mr. Speaker, is the minister aware that the review done by his own government found those supports to be inadequate more than one year ago?
MR. CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, I took great interest in that member's comments earlier during members' statements where she said we need to speak the truth in this House. That member has perpetrated things that are not true, misleading the public . . .
MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. I'd like to remind the minister that we're getting into tricky territory there, implying that other members are not telling the truth.
MR. CHURCHILL « » : Here are the facts, Mr. Speaker, that member suggested that these pre-Primary classes that we are working to implement are not inclusive sites for learning. That is absolutely and unequivocally false. These are inclusive learning sites that will support children of all diverse needs in our classrooms, and I am very excited to keep moving forward with our partners in the child care sector. We have a vested interest in them, we support that sector to the tune of $55 million. We have a vested interest in the success of our child care sector. We invest in that sector to the tune of $55 million a year. We are in negotiations with the federal government that will see additional funds for that critical sector.
I share the same goals as the folks in that sector, that all students, all children in Nova Scotia have to have access to these programs which we know have a positive impact on their lives.
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