Should School Systems Move to a Full-day Kindergarten Program?

Back when most families only had one parent working, half-day schooling may have been a good idea. Now with the majority of kids growing up in a two-income household, the concept is no longer beneficial. When both parents are working, children often require full-time childcare as infants.

Half-day kindergarten programs in Ontario cost a parent more than full-day kindergarten programs. Half-day kindergarten programs also cost a parent more than full-day childcare programs, once you factor in the transportation costs. Most childcare centers charge a full-day fee if your child attends for more than five hours a day. Since half-days at kindergarten are only two and a half hours a day, and most parents work at least eight hours a day, parents are still charged the full-day rate.

The issue of transporting your child between the daycare centre and school can be a logistics nightmare. Some daycare centers offer transportation to and from school for a fee. Unfortunately, my son's school was not on our daycare's transportation list, even though they are only a few blocks apart. Thankfully, a childcare provider at the centre has offered to drive my son to school on her lunch break for $5 a day. This plan will only work if I am able to secure afternoon classes for my son, which I have been told is not a guarantee. I won't find out until June which schedule he has been given. If he is placed in the morning classes, I don't know what other options I have left besides skipping kindergarten or quitting my job.

The current half-day schedule is not feasible for many parents. If the kindergarten program were changed to full-days and the schools offered before and after school programs, parents would be able to retain some of their sanity. Our government has promised to implement full-time kindergarten at some point, however it may be too late for my kids to benefit.

What are the arguments against full-time schooling? A full day at school is not any more exhausting than our kids current schedules. Most kids are already in full-time childcare, and a good centre has almost the same curriculum and activities as a school. Full-time kindergarten is also free, compared to a daycare centers that cost a fortune!

As I don't see the world reverting back to the days when women always stayed at home, we need to change the way our children are cared for immediately. The current system hinders a women's ability to work and earn a decent living. We are forced to either take a considerable amount of time off work when our children are young or pay almost our entire salary back in daycare expenses. In my opinion, childcare centers and schools should be combined and the younger kids taught by early childhood educators. I also believe that childcare should be publicly funded in the same way as our school system. I guess I'm living in a fantasy world, but wouldn't it be nice?