All-day kindergarten is a first step
Vancouver Sun
September 8, 2009
By Clyde Hertzman, President, Council for Early Child Development, University of B.C.

Re: Why all-day kindergarten is a good investment, by Dave Park, Aug. 24

Since our organization led work on the Early Years Study II mentioned in the article, I would like to respond to a few points.

First, I would like to congratulate our government on its support of all-day K. A similar commitment to expanding early-learning programs is being made in Ontario, and B.C. has the potential to be a leader in this area.

I urge the government to commit itself not simply to an extension of hours but to the introduction of a comprehensive play-based curriculum that brings professional early-childhood educators into the school system to work alongside teachers.

Furthermore, the extension of kindergarten should be seen as a first step; it needs to be followed by a commitment to provide full-day care through age six at neighbourhood centres. Without this comprehensive approach, B.C.'s children and families are no better off.

Park ends his article suggesting that now, during an economic downturn, is not the time to invest in our children. We respectfully disagree and have the work of eminent economists to back us up.

James Heckman, a Nobel Prize-winning U.S. economist, has demonstrated that the economic benefits from investment in early child development far outstrip dollars spent on infrastructure. And Canada's own Dan Trefler has shown that the productivity gains from investment in early child development are substantially higher than other potential public investments.