B.C. won't follow Ontario on plans for all-day kindergartens: Plans for all-day program hit stumbling blocks: lack of funding, teachers and classroom space
Times Colonist
By Rob Shaw
June 17, 2009

Ontario unveiled plans for all-day kindergarten this week, but B.C. won't be following suit in the near future, says the province's new education minister.

"It's a priority. But unfortunately, it's not going to happen this September as previously planned," Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid said yesterday. …The government's timeline is "possibly next year, but I can't say that for sure," MacDiarmid said. It depends on how much money is available in the provincial budget this fall, she said….

The province promised last year to "assess the feasibility and costs" of expanding to all-day kindergarten for five-year-olds, including four-year-olds by 2010 and three-year-olds by 2012.

But in February, then education minister Shirley Bond said huge costs and logistics would require a more phased approach.

A couple of months later, the province quietly released a report by the Early Childhood Learning Agency that estimated it would cost $600 million a year to fully implement all-day kindergarten, and as much as $1 billion to build new spaces for the influx of three- and four-year-olds.

In addition, the province would have to hire 1,000 additional teachers and 4,000 early-childhood educators to staff classrooms, the report estimated. "The impact of such a large change in the education and preschool system would be significant," the report notes. "Time will be needed for local planning."

MacDiarmid, who was sworn in as education minister last week, said she's not sure how long planning will take. …The uncertainty around the program is hurting parents, said NDP education critic Robin Austin.

"This doesn't do much for parents. It kind of leaves them wondering: 'Is this going to happen or isn't it?' " he said. "There needs to be a clear public-policy decision. Suggesting this may happen leaves parents unable to plan."

While B.C. waits, Ontario is surging forward….