Grants Will Help Improve Early Childhood Education
Grants Will Help Improve The Quality Of Early Childhood Education
Grants to help leaders in early childhood
teaching to upgrade their qualifications were a further step
in the Government’s determination to put more quality into
the education of children in their early years, Education
Minister Trevor Mallard said today.
The Government is considering a proposal that people responsible for the daily running of early childhood centres and co-ordinators in home-based schemes hold a Diploma of Teaching (ECE) or a Teacher Registration Board approved early childhood teaching qualification by 1 January 2005.
“The Government recognises that some assistance will be useful to help our early childhood education services through any transition,” Trevor Mallard said.
“We are therefore making available five hundred incentive grants to assist with the costs associated with existing staff completing their training.”
Grants of $1047 per year, up to a maximum of $3682, will be allocated to services whose staff meet the criteria and who began their teacher education training programmes in 2000 or who enter them in 2001.
“The higher qualification requirements will greatly improve quality in the early childhood sector and give a clear confirmation of the Government’s commitment to upping the standard of early childhood education,” Trevor Mallard said.
Information about the incentive grants, including an application pack for the grant, has been sent directly to those services identified as having less than two persons responsible or co-ordinators holding a Diploma of Teaching (ECE).
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