Full-day kindergarten, part of the provincial government's new early learning program, was made official earlier this week.
To much fanfare, we might add. Among the praise uttered was that implementing the program will provide widespread benefit not only for children, but society as a whole. Sounds amazing. In the midst of all this, we would add, however, an important cautionary note. It's a note that extends beyond the significant task of putting this wide-ranging program into practice. In Toronto, the impact will be certainly significant; 101 schools across the city have been earmarked for the all-day setup.Announced back in June 2009 and due to be implemented this fall, the program, which is optional, would combine daycare and kindergarten for children aged four and five. The students would get a full day of a learning under one teacher and a pair of early childcare workers (each covering half a day). The idea has strong support in a number of quarters. There is documentation that shows that full-day learning provides better preparation for Grade 1 and beyond; compared to a number of other countries, Canada lags in investing in early childhood development; also, there is a potential benefit for parents who need to juggle work shifts, along with daycare and schooling. Where we have concern, however, is on two fronts: implementation and cost. On the implementation front, given the size and scope of the project there are naturally going to be bumps along the road. It's clear work needs to be done. For example, in Toronto, a number of schools on the list for full-day learning are on there simply because they have the space to accommodate as opposed to being in a neighbourhood that has a demonstrated need for the program. Both are required, obviously, but the ability to tailor the program to specific areas could be critical to its success. Secondly, it's still not exactly clear where the money's going to come from. It is completely fair comment to question the delivery of a new, billion-dollar program when the province finds itself saddled already with a deficit of nearly $25 billion. This year is surely going to provide some hard fiscal choices for Premier Dalton McGuinty's goverment when budget time rolls around. In summation, the potential benefits of full-day learning are significant and worth exploring. At the same time, we still worry that this week's policy announcement is reflective of a government that's tries to be everything to everybody. Which, as we know, is a nice philosophy in theory, but one that presents dubious results when put into practice.