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All-day kindergarten coming for 5-year-olds

Last Updated: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 | 1:59 PM PT

CBC News

Several provinces, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario. already offer all-day kindergarten. (CBC)

The B.C. government had some good news on Tuesday for parents of young children — it will start funding all-day kindergarten for five-year-olds starting in September 2010.

The program, which was announced in the throne speech during the opening of the fall session of the Legislature in Victoria on Tuesday, is expected to cost an extra $130 million a year.

The government previously announced in the throne speech in February 2008 that it was hoping to offer all-day kindergarten starting this September.

B.C. NDP Leader Carole James said the delay until next year is typical of the Liberal government.

"We saw all-day kindergarten, which they broke as a promise last year, so I see some recycled broken promises," said James on Tuesday, as she commented on the throne speech.

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec already offer all-day kindergarten for five-year-olds, while Ontario offers junior kindergarten for kids who are four.

Charles Ungerleider, a professor of the sociology of education at UBC, said the program makes good sense.

"It's good social policy — helping youngsters to get off to a good start with their education is very important and it has returns for those individuals for their parents and the larger community," said Ungerleider.

The extra funding comes as the government is promising huge cutbacks in many areas to rein in a looming deficit.

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Internal Links

B.C. throne speech emphasizes spending cuts
B.C. studies all-day kindergarten for 2009
YOUR VIEW: What do you think about all-day kindergarten?
Ont. premier doesn't know cost of full-day plan for kindergarten students
Kindergarten to go to full-day program
Yaletown parents camp out for kindergarten spots

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