Description:
In the coming months and years, Prince Edward Island will take a massive step forward in the education of our children.
New supports are being built with one fundamental goal in mind: As a province, we can do a great deal more to prepare young Islanders for a lifetime of education.
The first step in the process was the introduction of kindergarten as a full-day program in the public school system.
The next logical step in the plan to improve education is a system that provides support to young Island children from birth to age four, their parents and their educators.
The Preschool Excellence Initiative plan will achieve that goal by helping to build an accessible, sustainable and quality-driven system - which recognizes the need for parental choice.
Founded on extensive research and consultations, the plan provides the Island's largest ever increase in investment in early learning for children from birth to age four. Funding will grow from $5.35 million in 2009-10 to $8.7 million in the current year, a 63% increase.
This new investment will better prepare Island children for kindergarten - which in turn, will strengthen their ability to excel during a lifetime of educational opportunities.