Cold feet on kindergarten?
Janet Steffenhagen blog
Nov 18, 2008

Stories were percolating this week that Education Minister Shirley Bond was backing away from promises about expanded kindergarten.

In the Throne Speech last February, her government said it was considering full-day kindergarten for all five-year-olds as early as September 2009 followed by kindergarten for four- and three-year-olds in 2010 and 2012. The Education Ministry set up an agency to examine the feasiblity of the plan and asked the agency to make recommendations by December.

It was only a proposal, but the minister sounded optimistic that it would go ahead - especially the all-day K. But in radio interviews this week, she was sounding less confident.

This afternoon, her ministry organized a conference call with reporters to set the record straight.

"I just want to clarify that we remain committed to looking at the feasiblity of all-day kindergarten and four- and three-year-old programs in British Columbia. Nothing has changed," she said off the top. "What we're simply recognizing is that this is a massive undertaking, that not only do we need to look at the . . . cost and implication, we also have to look at space and the number of people that would be required."

In response to questions, she admitted her hope of a 2009 introduction was optimistic.

"We're just doing our homework and recognizing that this is a pretty significant undertaking," she said, adding that some districts aren't ready to accommodate all-day kindergarten.

No decision has been made since the agency is still reviewing the proposal, along with 3,000 public submissions, and won't be making recommendations to government until next month.

Message to parents? The goal is unchanged but the timetable is in question. She denied that it has anything to do with the economic downturn.

New Democrat Norm Macdonald, the education critic, said government should have done its homework before floating the idea.