Education and Early Childhood Development
November 21, 2016
The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Dale Kirby, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development:
Provincial Government Celebrates National Child Day
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this Honourable House to recognize National Child Day, which took place yesterday, November 20.
The Members of this House of Assembly are wearing blue ribbons to recognize National Child Day, which has been celebrated across Canada since 1993 to commemorate the adoption of two documents focused on children's rights: the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I attended the 24th annual conference of the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador (AECENL), held in Manuels. More than 150 early childhood educators from across the province participated in early learning and child-care professional development opportunities, ending the conference on National Child Day with a celebration of children's rights.
Yesterday, I also participated in the National Early Learning and Child Care Framework panel discussion hosted by AECENL as part of the conference. It was a wonderful opportunity to share government's perspective on the framework's potential for early childhood educators, children and families of Newfoundland and Labrador. Conference participants also had the opportunity to discuss the possibilities that the national framework might afford our province, and their feedback will help inform our department as work on this initiative continues.
Our government is committed to enhancing access to exceptional and affordable early learning and child-care opportunities during these important early years of development.
Mr. Speaker, I ask parents, educators, child-care providers and community members to continue to respect the rights of children, to ensure that each child has access to the endless opportunities around them, and to recognize children as important members of our community.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
2016 10 21 1:50 p.m.