Getting a leg up
Prince George Citizen
February 15, 2008
Opinion By: Dave Paulson

Leveling the educational playing field for disadvantaged children has been a perennial challenge for educators and governments.

The B.C. Liberals might have found the answer.

This week's throne speech outlined a proposal to phase in all-day kindergarten for children as young as three by 2012.

The government plans to start by establishing the Childhood Learning Agency, which will examine the pros and cons of all-day kindergarten.

One of the cons is cost. It would be expensive, but youngsters have so much to gain, especially those who come from poor families or other troubled background -- youngsters who are at risk of falling behind early in school.

The government is responding to requests from parents in some parts of the province who want all-day kindergarten for their kids. The demand is so strong, some districts have already begun offering it for a fee. According to the Victoria Times Colonist, about 15 per cent of kindergarten students already attend all day, and the ministry picks up the tab for students who speak English as a second language and First Nations students.

The program would be completely optional.

And there's an added bonus: working parents who choose to put their youngsters in all-day kindergarten can save thousands of dollars a year in child-care costs….