Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, said his measure, S.B. 17-15, will mandate the Public School System to offer pre-school or early childhood education with funding from both the federal and local governments.
Reyes said the first five years of a child’s life are very important because they set the foundation for his or her behavioral, emotional, social and decision-making skills, values, self-esteem and lifelong learning abilities.
“Neglect and inadequate care in the early years can hold a child back from achieving full potential and can instead place the child in jeopardy of poor outcomes later in life, at a considerable cost to society. Research and studies have shown that providing children with culturally responsive, proper early childhood care and education has a far-reaching, long-term impact on their development,” said Reyes in the findings of his bill.
He said his bill aims to set the road map to improve the quality of public education in the CNMI by giving children opportunities to learn even at an early age.
The Board of Education will be mandated to establish instructional policies to set the early childhood education, or ECE, goal.
Reyes said ECE will allow preschool children to be literate at an early age which should help them become productive members of society in their adulthood.
Currently, PSS only offers kindergarten education on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited resources.
The Senate is scheduled to hold a session next week.
