There is an increasing call in this province to have the government institute an all-day kindergarten program. The latest voice of support came this week from businesswoman Cathy Bennett who had plenty of facts supporting the change.
Speaking to the members of the St. John’s Board of Trade, Bennett laid out a long list of positives for making the move and voiced just one negative — the cost.
Bennett says the provincial government knows full well that having all-day kindergarten would be a positive change but are hedging because they will have to find the money to pay for more teachers and other associated costs.
If that is indeed what is behind the stalling it just isn’t a good enough reason to keep it in limbo.
If all the research says children will be better off in the long run going to kindergarten all day then the change should be made and the money to pay for it found somewhere.
Parents, for one group, would be strongly in favour of the change.
Not only will their children get a better start in their education it will cure one of the biggest disruptions in the lives of modern families — children going to school for half a day and require child care during the other half.
It also necessitates transporting kindergarten students to or from school at odd hours of the workday.
It drives families — those with two parents working which is almost evey family these days — to distraction.
It’s time the government got off their hands and announced a decision to proceed with all-day kindergarten.
In fact the decision seems to be so obvious they should already have planning well underway preparing for the change.
Cost is important, but it pales when compared with the future of our youngest citizens.
