So the word is that the Early Learning Agency in BC is working on a feasibility study regarding the possible implementation of All Day Kindergarten for 5 year olds as well as Kindergarten for 3 and 4 year olds. Many of us still know very little about exactly what is going on with this Agency…or who even makes it up. A look on the government directory has lead me to determine the following people as the staff members of the agency. Beyond that there is still much mystery.
Judging by the number of hits I get on this blog regarding this issue I am know that I am not the only one who is seeking additional information. I have put a call into Susan Kennedy, who is listed as the Executive Director to try and get further clarification about the Agency’s mandate, plans, timeline, and other related details. I will post further info about this as soon as possible. I have been told that they will be posting info on the web very soon.
The Coalition of Child Care Advocates issued this open letter to the BC Child Care Community yesterday.
In February 2008, BC’s Throne Speech included a commitment to create an Early Learning Agency "to assess the feasibility and costs of full school day kindergarten for five-year-olds" and to conduct a "feasibility study of providing parents with the choice of day-long kindergarten for four-year-olds by 2010, and for three-year-olds by 2012." The Agency is
scheduled to report back by the end of 2008. Lead responsibility for this work was given to the Ministry of Education.At the time few details were available but when pressed, Shirley Bond, BC’s Minister of Education, suggested that All Day Kindergarten for 3 and 4 year olds might give parents another ‘day care choice’.
Then, on May 28, the Deputy Minister of Education announced that the Agency had been created and a consultation process about the "expansion of kindergarten and preschool programming for British Columbia’s children" was underway. A consultation paper will be available in early June and the community will have 1 month to respond.
Expanding kindergarten and preschool programming will have a significant impact on the lives of children, families, early childhood educators and child care programs in BC. So, even though the short consultation timelines make us wonder how much government really wants to listen we are committed to ensuring our collective voices are heard.
The Consultation Paper should provide some indication of government’s intentions. But, regardless of the details, our response will be based on our principles and on whether the proposed changes move us towards our vision of a community controlled, high quality, universal and affordable child care system.
So, we will be asking if the proposed changes to kindergarten and preschool programming:
1. Incorporate the principles of universality, public funding and access for all or is this a way to introduce user fees into public education?
2. Respect young children’s developmental needs or is this really about a downward extension of a school readiness agenda?
3. Meet the needs of working families by offering a seamless day of care and learning or is this yet another attempt to divide and fragment?
4. Build on the expertise, experience and commitment of BC’s early childhood educators or is this one more way to marginalize them?
5. Strengthen community-based child care programs struggling to provide services with minimal public funding support to date or is this one more way to destabilize them?
Our response to the Consultation Paper will depend on the answers to these questions. We hope yours will too.
I have just been given a copy of an email send to the Kelowna Child Care society on this matter,and was led to this page. I have been an Early Childhood Educator for 7 years, and I am going into my fifth year owning a running my own Pre-Kindergarten program, which is a Modified Montessori Program. I call it Modified because include a balance of Academics and regular Early Childhood Philosophy into this. This topic has been a great passion of mine, as I have seen so much success with children who come out of my program as they glide into Kindergarten. I hear what parents are asking for, and when their children start Kindergarten they are satisfied and at ease with the transition. The teachers are as well, as the children are very comfortable with the classroom routines. This in turn takes the pressure off of trying to ‘fit in ‘ to routine. I believe that a good, balanced pre kindergarten program is very much needed in the school system. In Kelowna, some of the schools have partnered with preschools, but it is the type of program that is going to make this successful. I believe there should be a liason between the School district and the ECE. The success is for everyone, students, parents and teachers. If a child is ready academically, socially and physically, with a successful foundation, there will be little room for behaviour problems later on, because he or she would be entering the school system with a healthy sense of self and confidence.
I would be very happy to further discuss this issue and be part of making this happen.
Sincerley, Mitzi Jo Hammer
250-718 8069
Thanks for your comments Mitzi. I agree that there can be many great benefits that can come from quality prekindergarten/kindergarten programs. The main questions that need to be explored within the feasibility study are about just how these programs will be run if they become part of the public education system. Will they be operated by the school districts or will there be community based partnerships? If programs for 3’s, 4’s and 5’s move into the school system what will the overall impact be on the child care system? What will this mean for ECE’s? This will help to free up spaces for infants and toddlers…but they be affordable if 3-5’s are no longer in the child care system? So…many issues and questions still to consider. The key though is to keep the dialogue going. I hope others will post here and share their thoughts as well. Thanks.
Thanks for you response Jane. Some very good questions you have raised on this matter. I think that it is time for the ECE to review the needs of todays children and the families coming in. While I believe that learning through play is essential, I think that todays families and technology are evolving, and children are being introduced to higher education at a younger age. This means change in the ECE standards and policies, and its time for the makers of these policies to wake up and go with what is happening now.
It will free up spaces for the much much needed care for infants and toddlers. The ECE courses should then be changed to accomodate future EC Educators to learn a combination of Infant toddler and Basic ECE all in one course. This will then create a win win situation for both parents and ECE business owners, and will be more affordable and attractive for students to take the ECE course.
As far as who will run the programs, I think it is time for ECE persons who are interested in higher learning to liason with the school district. Set up a board, create positions for those to oversee this issue. It can be done, we just have to accept that it is time for change and start embracing it. It is very easy to do. It just takes passion and dedication. Its really about the children and their future, and the parents will have the option of a higher program or a play based program.
It may not be a great idea for 3 year olds to partake in this unless they are very independant and academically advanced. In my experience those turning 3 from January of that year are great 3 year old candidates. This is proven by the great frustration of the parents of the”January children” who have not made the cut to get into Kindergarten. They will then have the benefit of a higher pre-k program.
Yes there are lots of issues to think about, but they are extremely do-able..Its just a matter of getting those officials to actually sit down and do it! Thanks for listening…I hope this helps…
Mitzi Jo Hammer
mitzijo@shaw.ca 250 718 8069