The ontario government has proposed, and now, excelling towards keeping four and five year olds in school for the entire day. This is going to cost the government, although already having a deficit, $1.5 million dollars a year. This plan is set to be finished by 2015 which makes the total money spent $500 million dollars. McGuinty talks about how important it is that we invest in the younger generation to built up a strong workforce that will compete with the best in the world. This will also bring changes in the classroom with early educators being in the classroom along with the teachers. This upcoming September, however, only 16% of enrolled chilren will have the opportunity to stay a full day. This is not new for francophone schools in Ontario as they already have full day Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten. Jocelyne Auger, the principal of Gabrielle Roy Elementary School in Toronto states in the article that they find the vocabulary of the children entering Grade 1 is much better and they are ready to do higher levels of work. Finally, McGuinty has stated that this program and more after school programs are mainly directed towards lower-income neighbourhoods. The aim is to give the children the best education they can possibly get.
I sit on the fence with this article. On one hand, the children can definitely benefit from having a full day. I do beleive, also, that they will be able to communicate better as they enter the older grades from kingergarten. However, these are also four and five year olds in a confined space for eight hours. Along with the children, will the teachers like early educators in the classroom with them? Although it is a crucial time for learning, children this age might not enjoy being in school all day. All the people I went to school with have turned out fine with having kindergarten half a day. I have to say I disagree with McGuinty's statement about doing this for the future workforce. I believe that full day or half day, these children will not become smarter. Besides the school perspective, having your 4 year old in school all day does provide a break on babysitters for families. And as well, they will already be accustomed to full days rather than first experiencing it in grade one. Overall, it sounds like a smart idea, but intelligence will not change in my mind.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/10/27/full-kindergarten.html
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