The Atkinson Centre at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education released a new report today, Early Childhood Education Report 2017, providing a detailed assessment of provincial and territorial frameworks for early childhood education in Canada. In 2017, Newfoundland and Labrador saw an improvement in the province’s overall score, receiving 8.5 out of 15.
The report is based on 19 benchmarks in five categories – governance structures, funding, access, quality in learning environments and accountability.
Newfoundland and Labrador has consistently shown improvement over the last three reports and has improved from a score of 1.5 out of 15 in 2011 and six out of 15 in 2014.The highest ranking province in the country in 2017 received a score of 11 out of 15.
Newfoundland and Labrador was the only province or territory that was awarded a score related to early childhood educator salaries. This is the first time the province’s Early Learning and Childcare (ELCC) Supplement Program has been taken into consideration. Budget 2017 included a $1.3 million increase to the annual ELCC supplement budget to reflect an income increase for early childhood educators in 2017-18.
In December 2017, the Provincial Government and the Government of Canada signed the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, a three-year, $22 million bilateral agreement reaffirming their commitment to and support of the unique early learning and child care needs of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The final report of the Premier’s Task Force on Improving Educational Outcomes outlines various recommendations on the early years and clearly expressed the importance of the early years in the lifelong learning of our province’s children.
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“We are pleased to see consistent improvement in the overall results for Newfoundland and Labrador in this publication. Understanding and celebrating children’s unique abilities is an important aspect of our work in the education and early childhood development system and we are committed to providing continued support. We have a vested interest in what early childhood educators do and we celebrate the positive impact they have on a child’s development.”
Honourable Dale Kirby
Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development
Learn More
Atkinson Centre at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education www.oise.utoronto.ca/atkinson/Main/
The Early Childhood Education Report 2017 – ecereport.ca/en/
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Media contact
Debbie Marnell
Education and Early Childhood Development
709-729-1906, 699-9048
debbiemarnell@gov.nl.ca