Department of Education and Early Childhood Development: About us

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is responsible for children’s education, including early years, and primary to grade 12 in English and French in public schools across the province.

We’re also responsible for licensing and funding the childcare sector, and providing subsidies to help families with the cost of childcare. We provide professional development and classification for early childhood educators, as well as fund early intervention services for children before they start school. We also oversee the Pre-primary Program.

We work with the Regional Centres for Education, Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, Nova Scotia Early Childhood Development Intervention Services, childcare centres and community partners to develop and implement curriculum, education policies, programs and resources that support development, learning, well-being and success.

• developing early learning and educational programs and services for students in pre-primary to grade 12
• designing curriculum, resources, supports, programs, services and policies for childcare, pre-primary and public schools
• supporting inclusive education, as well as development resources and supports in childcare, pre-primary and public schools
• French immersion curriculum and programs
• overseeing the Pre-primary Program
• managing early learning, care programs and childcare subsidies for children from birth to school entry
• licensing, regulating and subsidizing the childcare sector

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has about 230 staff working in early childhood education, curriculum development, assessment, research and policy development. Most staff work in Halifax.

• continuing the progress made last year in inclusive education, curricula development, teaching specialized staff, and integrated services and instructional settings
• implementing the Inclusive Education Policy Framework, with the continued expansion of Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports
• continuing to make inclusive education a part of the SchoolsPlus Program
• supporting the role of school advisory councils (SACs), the Provincial Advisory Council on Education (PACE) and the Public School Administrators Association of Nova Scotia (PSAANS)
• helping make childcare more accessible, affordable and flexible for families
• improving inclusion in early learning and childcare environments