Close to 600 elementary schools in Ontario will begin offering full-day kindergarten to four-and five-year-olds starting in September, Premier Dalton McGuinty will announce today.
But the $1.5-billion plan is already being met with skepticism from critics who say it is being implemented too quickly and at a cost to other “basic” education needs at a time when the province should be focusing on reducing its $24.7-billion deficit.
“This is one of the most ill-conceived and badly thought-through programs the province has ever announced,” said Irene Atkinson, trustee for Park-dale-High Park in the Toronto District School Board. “When I hear the province has $1.5-billion to introduce this new vote-getting program, I’m appalled. You should pay your basic fundamental bills before introducing something like this.”
In its first year, the plan aims to create 35,000 all-day kindergarten spaces for four-and five-year-olds, with optional fee-based before-and after-school care, said Jane Almeida, a spokeswoman for Mr. McGuinty. The Premier, who will make the announcement today in Chatham, has promised to increase the number of spaces to 50,000 by 2011, with a goal to have all eligible four-and five-year-olds in the province — about 240,000 — enrolled by 2015. Ms. Almeida confirmed last night that at least one school from every board will be part of the initial 600 to offer the program.
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Notes:
I don’t know about this so I’ll leave it for people like Sandy to weigh in.
Yea, I’m been following this disaster in the making. I’ll take a look at this. First time someone in the system — a trustee — has had the nerve to call a spade a spade. This is all about vote buying and implementing a universal child care program without calling it that — when we have a $25 Billion deficit. Absolutely nuts! And, it will put private day care providers and nursery schools out of business — for purely partisan purposes. Yet, where is the outrage. If this was the Harris gov’t, the you know what would have hit the fan. Aaaaaaaahhhhh!
Looking at the picture, its hard to tell which one is Dalton McGuinty.
“has promised to increase the number of spaces to 50,000 by 2011”
Hmmmm , I wonder? Is it just a coincidence or isn’t that 50, 000 the same number of students that CUPE at York U held to ransom for 2 months while they went on strike last year and caused many students to lose their year. Do we really need a repeat to get it through our heads that government union monopolies are a serious impediment to the well being of our community?
Nom…your right but big corporations which control pricing and wipe out competition, are also a serious impediment to the well being of our community and country.
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As you can all see by the pingback, I have put up a post on this.
Just added a comment on your blog, Sandy. Parents with small children need to say “Whoa, wait a minute”.
My view having raised five children is “McShifty” is pulling a fast one. Great entry and readers in Ontario with children need to pick up their phones and send mail.
$170.00 a day?
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