B.C. studies all-day kindergarten for 2009
Last Updated: Thursday, August 14, 2008 | 6:53 PM PT
The Canadian Press
The wide-eyed kids who troop off for their first day of kindergarten in a few weeks could be the last group of B.C. five-year-olds to attend school for only half a day.
The provincial government is considering offering full-day kindergarten in time for the 2009 school year, with the program expanding on an optional basis to four- and three-year-olds by 2012.
The government first floated the idea last February in its throne speech and Friday is the deadline for public input into the idea.
A final report to the government is due by the end of the year, but Education Minister Shirley Bond could barely contain her enthusiasm for the idea on Thursday.
Bond said the idea fits with the government's education goals and is the logical next step in supporting families.
A cost estimate for the plan hasn't been done, but a former B.C. deputy education minister said when he looked into it almost 10 years ago, he found it would cost at least $95 million.
Charles Ungerleider, who is now an education researcher, said the investment would pay off in the long run with higher graduation rates and lower crime rates.
The Ontario government has promised to offer all-day kindergarten for four- and five-year-olds by 2010, and it is already in place in some school districts.
Share Tools
Latest British Columbia News Headlines
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Surrey RCMP seek hit-run driver
- Police are looking for a light-coloured Chrysler with damage to the driver's front side after a pedestrian was hit in Surrey, B.C., early Sunday morning. more »
- B.C. man who scaled Everest returns home
- A Vancouver man who climbed the world's highest mountain is back home and talking about the adventure. more »
- Fort Langley restaurant damaged in fire
- A sushi restaurant in Fort Langley, B.C., was damaged in a fire early Sunday morning. more »
Top News Headlines
- Canadian Pacific strikers face back-to-work legislation
- Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is prepared to end the Canadian Pacific Railway strike if necessary, after both CP and the union rejected a proposal for voluntary arbitration by the government-appointed negotiator on Sunday. Raitt says she is "extremely disappointed." more »
- Syrian regime denies role in Houla massacre
- The UN Security Council condemned the Syrian regime at an emergency meeting Sunday, holding president Bashar al-Assad's military responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people, dozens of whom were children younger than 10 years old. more »
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Neighbour may have helped find missing kids in Mexico
- Two Winnipeg children who had been missing for nearly four years were found in Mexico after a man raised concerns about his neighbour, according to a private investigator. more »
- B.C. NDP calls for unity in fighting coast guard closure
- Surrey RCMP seek hit-run driver
- B.C. man who scaled Everest returns home
- Fort Langley restaurant damaged in fire
- Passengers' families sue for fatal B.C. plane crash
- B.C. Coast Guard Auxiliary gets new name
- Tsunami motorcycle heading to Harley museum
- Psych ward escapes worry neighbours
- Gang forum honours Surrey 6 victim
