Minister hints all-day kindergarten unlikely soon; Program still being considered despite economic downturn, but in-depth study required, says Bond
The Daily Courier (Kelowna)
November 19, 2008

Education Minister Shirley Bond is hinting the B.C. government's plan to offer all-day kindergarten is turning out to be a bigger exercise than originally planned and parents hoping for the classes next year may be disappointed.

Bond said Tuesday the government is still considering all-day kindergarten for five-years-olds and offering optional early childhood classes for three- and four-year-old children, but the plan requires in-depth study before it reaches the approval stage.

….A final report to the government is due by the end of the year, and Bond appears a long way from advising parents with young children to start stocking up on school supplies for next year.

"We've made no final decision," said Bond. "We're still looking at all of the input we've received. We remain committed to an aggressive early learning agenda in the province. The questions are simply these: How fast should it be done? How fast can it be done?"

She said optimistically she would want to see the program go ahead as soon as possible, but "we're just doing our homework and recognizing that this is a pretty significant undertaking."

Bond said …."Anyone would not be surprised that one of the things that all of us are considering as we move forward is the pace of implementing new programs," she said. "What is driving our thinking is making sure we have the right model."….

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 earlier.