In their zeal to turn the full-day kindergarten story into a false debate about the so-called “Mommy Wars,” the media have missed a critical question. Several early-childhood-learning experts were quoted on the benefits - and there are many - of full-day kindergarten. The question isn't whether it's a good idea or not, or whether it's beneficial to some mothers and not others, but rather whether full-day kindergarten is something Ontario can, or should, do right now.
At a time when Ontario's existing public-education system is under severe stress, should the province allocate substantial resources to a new program? There are many needs in the public system that should be addressed before full-day kindergarten is implemented.
Ontario's aging schools have suffered from years of underinvestment and are literally crumbling from neglect. Pools are being closed due to lack of funds.
Many schools, already overflowing, are having to consider reducing their catchment areas. Using portable classrooms to deal with overcrowding takes up field space and makes it harder for children to exercise, leading to rising obesity levels. Nobody seems to have asked the question: “Where will we put these children?”
There is insufficient support for teachers who have to cope with assimilating immigrant children who have not yet learned to speak English. There appears to be no strategy on how to deal with the educational needs of our increasingly diverse population.
The province has a French immersion program that is the envy of many countries, yet we are not investing to ensure that the supply meets the demand. While the Toronto District School Board has taken some steps in the right direction, parents still have to camp out overnight to exercise their right to a bilingual education for their child.
Primary caps have been enforced too rigidly, which has put pressure on the higher grades. Limiting the class sizes for kindergarten to Grade 3 has benefited these children. But students in Grades 4 to 6 will now pay the price with split classes that are too large, especially in French immersion, where teaching two languages to a class of two grades with more than 30 kids is extraordinarily challenging.
This is a classic example of trying to fix one problem and creating another. Where will we find the money to hire additional teachers in the higher primary grades?
Ontario wants to add an almost billion-dollar program on to this shaky foundation? We shouldn't be treating our public education system like a game of Jenga - adding a piece, taking away a piece and hoping that the whole thing remains standing. Early-childhood education is a fine goal, but not at the expense of the existing primary school system and its many unmet needs.
Moving to full-day kindergarten will also have a very limited benefit for working mothers. Most jobs don't allow you to leave at 2:30 to pick up your kids. And if you're lucky enough to send your kids to a school that offers after-school care, you better have signed them up when they were in the womb or you'll be out of luck.
I understand the politics around this issue, but no parents should fault the Premier for investing in primary and secondary education before expanding early-childhood learning. The current state of public education is leading parents who can afford it to choose the private system and creating a much poorer experience for those who remain. It is time to invest in the entire system, and not just focus on one year of public education at the expense of the other 12.
Anne Kothawala serves on the boards of the Daily Bread Food Bank, ParticipAction and French for the Future.
