Survey eyes expanded kindergarten; Children as young as 3 could be off to school
The Daily Courier (Kelowna)
August 15, 2008

The wide-eyed, five-year-olds who start school this September in British Columbia could represent the last group of children attending kindergarten for only half a day.

The B.C. government is seriously considering offering full-day kindergarten beginning for the 2009 school year and it's also studying introducing optional early school programs for B.C. children as young as three within the next four years….

That process concludes today after being extended for a month due to overwhelming public interest. A final report to the government is due by the end of the year.

Education Minister Shirley Bond doesn't have approval from her government to move forward with the plan, and a cost estimate hasn't yet been done.

But for her, the writing appears to be on the chalkboard: traditional half-day kindergarten classes could be on the way out in British Columbia.

"This is really the next step in how do we better support families," she said. "Our intent would be that if we move forward with the initiative that we would put all-day kindergarten in place by 2009. The other two phases we would look at, the four-year-olds by 2010, the three- year-olds by 2012. "

Early childhood learning experts applaud the possible kindergarten changes.

Even the Opposition New Democrats agree it may be the right way to go, but they caution sending children to school for a full day should not be viewed as a way to avoid fixing a weak day-care system.

British Columbia wouldn't be the first province in Canada to move to all-day kindergarten for five-year-olds, but a full-day program for three-year-olds by 2012 would be a Canadian first, Bond said.

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec offer all-day kindergarten for five-year-olds. Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec offer some programs for four-year-olds and Ontario has part-day kindergarten for four-year-olds and is moving towards all-day kindergarten for four- and five-year-olds.

"We're obviously looking across the country at what other jurisdictions are doing in terms of early learning," said Bond. "We have to finish our homework and basically prepare a report back to government before the end of the year."….

"Investing in early childhood education and opportunities for children earlier does save us investments in the long run," said Bond.

Studies show early childhood education provides children with better foundations for future success and it also results in social and health savings if possible learning or health problems are identified at earlier ages, she said.