UBC prof gives four reasons B.C. isn’t delivering childcare
Georgia Straight
May 6, 2009
By Pieta Woolley

UBC assistant political science professor Paul Kershaw doesn’t have kids. But as a citizen, he said, he thinks it’s society’s responsibility to get all kids off to the best start possible—even if that means raising his taxes.

Kershaw also works with UBC’s Human Early Learning Partnership. The agency coordinates the testing of all B.C. kindergartners for “vulnerabilities” in language, cognition, physical development, and other areas. Since 2001, the Early Development Instrument has found that more and more kids are showing up for kindergarten with barriers to learning. At last count, it was 30 percent. And the majority, he said, are from middle-class homes.

Knowing this, why isn’t B.C.’s political leadership willing to invest in a universal, affordable, accessible childcare program?

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