Minister for Education, Rosy Akbar says teacher salary upgrades and grants for children in kindergartens has uplifted the standard and quality of Early Childhood Education.
Akbar highlighted this while opening the Regional Early Childhood Education and Care in the Pasifika Talanoa Symposium in Nadi.
She says the Ministry of Education oversees 875 kindergartens and 19,102 students.
She says they are overseeing 1,479 teachers who are paid by the Ministry and are under a reviewed salary rate, with a total of $23.4 million budgeted for their salaries.
Akbar says this is a bold step taken by the Ministry to empower these teachers to upgrade their academic qualifications and seek further training, the trickle-down effect finally to be enjoyed by the children.
Akbar says this year they gave a subsidy of $2.8 million dollars towards the tuition fees of students enrolled in registered Early Childhood Education centres with an additional $300,000 given for construction of facilities and equipment.
Akbar says children in recognised Early Childhood Education centres are provided free schooling and free transport.
