Keeping full-day Kindergarten is the right thing

Re Minister commits to full-day ‘learning’ for 4- and 5-year-olds, Feb. 2

Last week, the provincial government alluded to the potential of reversing full-day kindergarten in Ontario, which was introduced in September 2010. Since then, we’ve heard from families, community members, colleagues and friends about the disadvantages of de-funding full-day kindergarten. Some also wonder why taxpayers should fund a program that can be delivered by private child care providers and why the tax base should subsidize what is commonly referred to as “daycare.”

To begin, daycare and kindergarten are not the same. While child care is a crucial service that a kindergarten does provide, programming isn’t equal. Full-day kindergarten offers a structured, curriculum-based program designed around early learning strategies that boost academic suc- cess in a child’s home school. A reduction in the hours of full-day kindergarten would have a tremendous impact on families, including added child care cost.It will also negatively impact the workforce as more parents will need to take time off from work.

Since there is already a large demand on child care in the GTA, even parents who can afford the added costs may have difficulty finding adequate, convenient care. Most importantly, de-funding full-day kindergarten would create a disparity in early learning.

A strong, vibrant, publicly funded education system must continue to provide equal opportunity to students starting in the early learning years.

Public school board trustees Nokha Dakroub, Mississauga; Kathy Mcdonald, Brampton; Balbir Sohi, Brampton