The Honorable John Haggie, Minister of Education, today joins the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador, to proclaim May 28 to June 3 as Early Childhood Educators Week.
This week celebrates the significant role early childhood educators play in the lives of children in guiding their early learning and development, through well planned, optimal early childhood experiences of responsive care and play based learning.
Highly qualified early childhood educators are the key to providing quality early learning and child care for all young children in the province, both in the 8,559 spaces currently available and in all future spaces in development.
Currently more than 2,000 people hold Child Care Services Certification and work in child care centres, family child care homes, family resource centres, educational institutions, businesses, and not-for-profit organizations in communities throughout the province. The Department of Education is committed to growing this workforce as evidenced by the introduction of a new wage grid to better reflect the important work that early childhood educators do. Additionally, the department is developing a recruitment and retention program tailored specifically for early childhood educators, and has added 700 post-secondary seats to local early childhood education programs.
Minister Haggie also extends his confirmation to Nicholas Mercer of Gander on receiving the 2023 Joanne Juteau Early Childhood Education Scholarship, as presented by the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Mercer will soon be completing his Early Childhood Education Diploma at the College of the North Atlantic, where he has maintained a 4.0 GPA each semester. He entered the field with a background as an artistic director for a youth theater company, a youth outreach coordinator, coach and mentor. He has been accepted into the Advanced Diploma Program with the college and intends to complete a degree program as well.
Quotes
“I recommend all early childhood educators and the work they do each and every day as they guide and teach children during their early learning years. The knowledge and expertise they bring to the profession is admirable and provides essential learning support for children.”
Honorable John Haggie
Minister of Education
“Early Childhood Educators Week acknowledges and celebrates early childhood educators and their contributions to society as a whole. Thank you to our early childhood educators for guiding children’s early learning and development through well-planned, inclusive play-based programs and for providing essential support to families in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Skye Taylor
Executive Director, Association of Early Childhood Educators NL
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2023 05 30
10:00 am