home sitemap contact us  

















SCHOOLS

Requirements

  1. REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF ECCE CENTRES
  • All ECCE Centres must be registered by ECS providers at the Ministry of Education – Early Childhood Care and Education Unit (See Appendix A – Application Form).

  • Initial application enquiries should be made directly to the ECCE Unit Ministry of Education, Trinidad or The Division of Education, Sport and Youth Affairs, Tobago.  It shall be deemed illegal to establish an ECCE centre without applying to the Ministry of Education.

  • Providers of all private ECCE Centres (referred to as infant or nursery schools in the Ed. Act, Chp.39:01; article 12 (a)) must complete and submit the prescribed registration form to have their entry on the Register (article 31(1)) and a Registration Notice.

  • Once the ECS Provider has registered the Centre, the provider will be given a period of five (5) years from the date of registration to complete the licensing procedure, thereby, up-grading the Centre to a fully licensed ECCE centre endorsed by the Ministry of Education, as meeting the requirements of a quality ECCE facility.

  • Continuous inspection of licensed ECS is the method of ensuring that providers continue to adhere to the standards contained in this document.  All ECS providers and staff must work with ECCE officers of the Ministry of Education on a continuous basis to up-grade the services provided nation-wide.

  • A license will be granted for a period of three years. It is a requirement of registration that the registered provider co-operates with the Ministry of Education, Early Childhood Unit in arranging a date for the formal licence inspection within two months of the proposed date agreed to upon registration.

  • Applications for renewal of licence should include notice of any changes made.

  • It is acknowledged that some provision already exceed these minimum standards. The role of the inspectors/ECCE Officers will be to encourage initiatives and practice developments that aim to improve standards.

  • Where existing provision falls short of the standards, the role of the ECCE officers will be to negotiate changes with the registered providers within realistic, jointly agreed time scales within the five-year period.

  • The Ministry of Education/NCECCE requires the same standards for the government/ government assisted ECCE centres (public) and all private settings. All will be inspected by these Standards and expected to comply.

  • It is the responsibility of the registered provider to ensure compliance with the statutory requirements of the legislation.