Experts find holes in plan for full-day kindergarten
November 26, 2009
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Kristin Rushowy
EDUCATION REPORTER
Note: This article was edited from a previous version that incorrectly suggested the report took issue with early childhood workers working as full partners with teachers.
Full-day kindergarten is off to a "rough start" because the province is ignoring research on what makes it work best, says a new report from early childhood experts who studied a similar successful program in Toronto.
The report criticizes the province for paying early childhood educators much less than teachers but expecting them to work as full partners, the absence of summer programs for children and a lack of parent involvement.
"Even the best policy blueprint is only as effective as its implementation and, while it is early days, the parameters announced by the province signal a rough start for the program," the report says.
Researchers studied the Toronto First Duty program, which integrates full-day learning and child care under one roof, and was a model for the provincial plan.
In October, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a full-day learning plan for 4- and 5-year-olds, to be phased in over the next six years, which will be taught by a teacher and the equivalent of one full-time early childhood educator and will cost $1.5 billion a year when fully implemented.
Among the problems researchers have identified:
The province plans to fund early childhood educators – expected to work alongside teachers in the classroom – at $19.48 an hour, or roughly $30,000 per school year, when teachers make more than double that. Pascal had recommended they be paid $26.85 an hour, or about $11,000 more.
While higher wages for teachers are expected given their academic credentials, "real teamwork is going to be needed with 26 children," said Carl Corter, chair at the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. At such a low salary, the fear is the early childhood educators will be seen as mere assistants rather than full partners.
Lack of summer programs for children. Offering "extended-day programming" – before- and after-school care – "only during the 188 days that schools operate will create enormous challenges," the report notes.
Lack of parent involvement, which Corter called key. Research has found that parents at the Toronto First Duty sites were more engaged with staff and their child's schooling than those in the regular kindergarten program.
But Charles Pascal, the province's early learning adviser, said the rollout will be successful.
"I've said the implementation is going to be as messy as a child's first attempt at fingerpainting," he said. "There are always going to be issues" but by phasing it in slowly and constantly evaluating it, "continuous improvement will take place."
He also said that summer programming will "emerge as being a no-brainer from the point of cost-effectiveness" for school boards since they've already hired the ECEs.
The full-day program is to start next fall with 35,000 children, offering the option of all-day classes with before- and after-school care.
Complete coverage of all-day kindergarten
Toronto board eyeing all-kindergarten school
80 city schools may have full day JK by September
Toronto Star