Nova Scotia to further expand pre-primary classes this fall

Nova Scotia's universal pre-primary program for four-year-olds is set to expand again this fall as the province enters year three of a four-year rollout.

Education Minister Zach Churchill says pre-primary will be offered in a further 56 schools, bringing the total number of schools to 201 across Nova Scotia.

• List of 56 N.S. schools adding pre-primary in 2019-20

The $10.2-million expansion is to include 84 new classrooms and will allow around 1,400 children to access the program.

So far the province has spent $34.2-million on a program that saw more than 3,000 children enrolled for the current school year.

More early childhood educators needed

The Education Department says about 224 more early childhood educators will be needed to support the new classrooms and the overall goal is to have 400 employed by the pre-primary program next year.

A key Liberal campaign promise during the May 2017 election, pre-primary was launched in September of that year in 54 classes in 45 schools.

The department said Wednesday that the implementation of pre-primary has been completed in the province's French-language schools and at the Strait Regional Centre for Education.

It said the Tri-County and South Shore Regional Centres for Education will fully implement the program this fall.