“I want to assure parents the implementation of full-day Kindergarten is a priority for this government and we will be ready for September 2016. Full-day Kindergarten is an essential part of a child’s early learning and development. Research supports the many benefits of this programming including stronger academic outcomes, reading skills and better social and emotional development. This is a long-term investment in students and Newfoundland and Labrador.”
– The Honourable Dale Kirby, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development

Infrastructure upgrades, professional learning plans and the purchasing of additional classroom and teacher resources are well underway. Highlights include:

• Full-day Kindergarten will be offered in 190 schools across the province;
• Over 140 new teachers will be added to the system to facilitate implementation;
• Sixteen schools required additional space: four schools needed an extension and 12 schools required modular classrooms;
• Approximately 100 renovations are required to meet infrastructure needs;
• Eight schools are expected to utilize team teaching as a temporary measure, with an additional eight schools that may require it depending on final enrollment in September; and
• The full-day Kindergarten program will be play-based, using the existing Completely Kindergarten curriculum that was developed with full-day Kindergarten in mind.