Extension of Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten Classes to Full Day in Ontario
Overview
The McGuinty government's efforts to create greater access to the education system at any age for all children starting junior kindergarten has never really been fully assessed as to the full economic and social implications.
Mr. McGuinty thought it was appropriate that all parents be entitled to free full day junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten access for their children. Until the recent changes, both of the facilities were only available half days.
Working parents previously had to leave their pre-grade 1 children at daycare for part of the day. Presumably the intention of this policy was to reduce cost to parents for daycare. Also full day junior kindergarten/senior kindergarten would make childcare seemless so that they would be in one place for the day. Have these goals been achieved? Not really. Firstly, many of the working parents still need to leave their children somewhere after 3:30 p.m. pickup. Previously, children in daycare could be picked up at 5:30 p.m. This is not available at the schools.
Secondly, previously costs of early afternoon care were borne by the individual parents. They are now being borne by all tax payers. Irrespective of income levels, all parents get the benefit of these free services. Free services at a time when the Province can ill afford it. The recent independent analysis provided to the government by an independent third party accounting agency looking to find ways to cut expenditures, highlighted junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten full day of education as one of the targets. Mr. McGuinty did adopt many of the other recommendations. This one interestingly enough, was ignored.
If the intention of this policy was to ease the burden of childcare costs to middle and lower class parents daycare, additional subsidies could have been given based on income levels, to allow less well off parents the cost of daycare. But no, Mr. McGuinty decided that everyone in Ontario should be entitled to this extension of education services to be borne by the tax payer yet again, at a time when the government can ill afford new expenses.
And what kind of care in education are these children getting? Non-profit daycare staff, all have early childhood training, and can provide similar type of education services as in junior kindergarten/senior kindergarten. In addition, they have greater capabilities in dealing with small children than junior kindergarten/senior kindergarten staff of two staff people, one teacher, and one assistant to supervise 30 - 4 year olds. Non-profit daycares have the facilities and the staff to handle the children and with subsidies for those people who can not afford their services increased, Mr. McGuinty's objective could have been met in large part with a total lesser cost to Ontario tax payers.
Daycares will have to cut their well trained staff with more unemployment created as a result. The schools will not be taking on these additional people given the limitations of two staff per class and it will be more difficult therefore to find daycare space for pre junior kindergarten and for 3:30-5:30 p.m. care.
At the end of the day, universal junior kindergarten/senior kindergarten education comes at a significant cost to the Ontario taxpayer and will have a severe and negative impact on the non-profit daycare system. Congratulations Mr. McGuinty on a job well done.
