Investing wisely in young minds
Times Colonist
September 4, 2010

 Pay attention, class. British Columbia's latest great experiment in education -- the move to full-day kindergarten -- is about to begin. Will the plan turn out to be little more than expensive day care for four- and five-year-olds or a wise investment in our future that will continue to pay dividends for decades?

Educators have little doubt about the new program's value. The sooner children can enter the formal school system, the better off they will be…. the program should be monitored to confirm it's effective and meets the needs of all children.

It's important to work with children before they reach Grade 1. Studies have shown that about a quarter of the children who start Grade 1 are simply not ready to learn. Those children are at risk of remaining behind the other students throughout school -- and ultimately of failing to complete Grade 12.

There is also a danger that children who could benefit the most from full-day kindergarten -- aboriginal students, English-as-a-second-language students and those with special needs -- might be lost in the shuffle.

These children have already had access to full-day kindergarten because they needed extra help to get ready for Grade 1. About 6,000 of these students were funded for full-day kindergarten last year.

Now that all children will have that extra boost, the ones with the greatest needs could once again be at the back of the pack. We need to find new ways to give those children the help they need….

Ontario is also introducing full-day kindergarten and studies there predict a huge financial return. Knowledge is essential to our economic well-being.

It will be important to monitor full-day kindergarten, and ensure that no children are being left behind. Ultimately, though, the smarter we can make our children, the better off we will be.

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