Back to School: Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid
Vancouver Sun
By Janet Steffenhagen
31 Aug 2010
EXCERPTS ONLY

PART 1

Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid held back-to-school teleconferences Tuesday, including one with Metro reporters…

We're excited about the start of school next week. …(we're) particularly delighted about the beginnings of full-day kindergarten for about 21,000 students. We know this program is going to make a difference. There's a large body of research that has shown around the world that play-based learning, high-quality learning for kindergarten students makes a difference for them. Higher graduation rates. They're more likely to go on to and graduate from post-secondary schools

MM: "One big change that's already happening is our investment in early learning. We are committed to and actually starting full-day kindergarten with significant investment, both for operations and on the capital side. We've also made a commitment to play-based learning for four-year-olds and three-year-olds and we're working closely with current providers as well as the Ministry of Children and Family Development. I don't have policy announcements on that but it's something government's made a commitment to do. One of the issues, of course, is funding and finances of the province and we are waiting for financial improvements….

PART 2

Q: Is the province working with daycare providers to ease the transition to full-day K?

MM:  We've been talking to the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) and they've been talking to providers. It's very important as we talk about kindergarten for three and four-year-olds that we work with child-care providers and discuss parental needs. Government has definitely made a commitment, but conversations are on-going.

Q: How much will full-day kindergarten cost the school districts and how will government offset those costs?

MM: Operating costs over three years are $280 million and government is fully funding that initiative. In addition, government is providing $144 million to build additions, construct a new school, re-open a school in the Okanagan and build modular structures.