Full-day kindergarten on its way
Burnaby NewsLeader
By Wanda Chow 
November 20, 2009

In a kindergarten classroom at Maywood elementary in Burnaby, a group of five-year-olds is engaged in a popular daily activity: math.

Granted, math concepts are taught at this level by giving them blocks and flat shapes to build with, and yarn to string into patterns on peg boards, but it's all introducing kids to a wide variety of geometric shapes.

When teacher Tricia Dolton was teaching half-day kindergarten classes, she was lucky if she could fit the math unit in twice a week.

But with Maywood in its second year of a full-day kindergarten pilot project, Dolton now has time to do daily math-related activities. It's much more relaxed, she said….

Judging by Maywood's experience, there's ample evidence of the program's benefits in preparing children for future success in school.

Maywood, like Morley, was chosen for the pilot because many of its Metrotown-area students are eligible for additional Education Ministry funding, available for students who are English-as-a-second-language, aboriginal or special needs.

For Samara Najei, whose daughter Sara Abdulkarim was in the first year of the Maywood pilot, the transformation was amazing.

"She didn't know much English. After three months in full-time [kindergarten] she has perfect English ... She's correcting us now."…

In addition to developing language skills, the kids also have more time to work on their social skills, learning to get along and work with others, and their emotional sides. "They're not as anxious when their parents leave," Montabello said.

She stressed that full-day kindergarten is not about teaching kids more and turning them into mini Grade 1s. It's about going deeper into a curriculum which should always be play-based for that age group…

Burnaby school board chair Diana Mumford said the Burnaby district is already dealing with the recent loss of a $4.3-million facilities grant and salary increases set out in union contracts. Now it also faces higher Medical Services Plan premiums, the HST, a carbon tax, and the cost of government software to calculate how much carbon tax it should pay.

As a result, the district's deficit for next year is already at $5 million and growing, just to maintain the status quo, Mumford said, adding cuts to programs and services will have to be considered.

With full-day kindergarten, the province will increase its per-student contribution, but Mumford said there's no word yet on what other related costs it will cover.

Schools with space may require renovations to meet kindergarten needs, those without space will need portables installed on site. Mumford said she expects to see a provincewide shortage of portables, and likely qualified kindergarten teachers, as a result of the relatively short implementation timeline.

"If we couldn't [implement full-day kindergarten as planned] a year ago because of funding, where in this 'strong economy' do we have money for this?" she said with sarcasm.

….The ministry will choose the schools that will get it in the coming months.