Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to speak about the importance of early education and how I believe that ECE should support junior kindergarten in our future years.
The GNWT has two strategic initiatives in this area. One provides funding for the languages initiatives that supports local language programming for preschool children and the second provides some assistance to regions to assist early childhood providers. In Yellowknife, preschool programs and preschool bilingual programs are offered on a fee base. There is also a program at the Yellowknife Catholic Schools for children who, for various reasons, are referred by the community agencies that need the extra assistance and need a head start.
Last summer Yellowknife Education District No. 1 offered a short summer program, without fee, to support pre-kindergarten students. Mr. Speaker, from all indications that I have been told, this was a significant success and a great head start for those kids rolling into kindergarten. These are valuable initiatives I believe we need more of.
I support universal junior kindergarten in the NWT. Mr. Speaker, at a UNESCO World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education, the key message was that education is essential for development and there is no better place to set development on the right track than in the first few years of a child’s life.
It is clear that a child’s life chances often play out well before the first day in school. By providing junior kindergarten, we can help to level that playing field and to ensure that every child has a solid foundation that literacy can be built upon. By reaching all children earlier, they will find they will be better served and can find problems and identify them, if necessary, and that need support such as eyesight, nutrition and the ability to play. Mr. Speaker, this gives the system the ability to tap into resources early, and as we all know, early intervention is the key to overcoming struggles of that nature.
Mr. Speaker, we all support universal education through many messages we talk about here, but we must ensure that there’s a level playing field for all our children, and it begins at junior kindergarten. Mr. Speaker, accordingly, these students who receive early education and a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy, these adults go on and become more productive citizens in our lives. Mr. Speaker, they turn out to be true, real contributors.
Mr. Speaker, finally, the UNESCO director general says this is the greatest investment in a child’s life.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll have questions for the Minister of Education later today.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
