…on yo ass.
Heh.
So yeah..I haven’t had a chance to REALLY focus on the BC Liberals latest Throne Speech, or appalling deficit, the INSANE HST or this….but thank goodness for Twitter right?
According to the CBC online, the BC Lib’s have decided that Kindergarten in 2010 will be full time.
I am sure the teachers are THRILLED to hear this.
My hatred of the BC Liberals tells me that they have done this to win back votes over the HST bull twaddle.
It also means they don’t have to look into providing what is really needed in BC – affordable daycare, both full and part time for people.
People who will HAVE to work a lot more due to all the extra taxes they are paying.
Yes..so really, the government is looking at kindergarten teachers as FREE daycare.
Not good.
But….
For someone who grew up with full time school for 5 year olds…I don’t see why it ever went part time in the first place.
Especially in a world where – thanks to things like the necessity of two income families, single parents and so on – kids are already accustomed to daycare and preschool schedules and play and so on.
From what I have seen, there isn’t much difference between preschool and kindergarten. Lots of play, lots of ABC’s, all done with play, arts and crafts, while teaching structure, social skills and so on.
This is not CRUEL.
This is school.
This is a good chunk of their early life.
I keep reading about how terrible this is for the kids? Since when? Since we as a society have been overwhelmed with guilt over how we raise our kids?
Do we in our helicoptering/attachment/over-informed ways really see that we are parenting better now than before….I really really don’t think so.
Five is young..but not too young for school.
My son and daughter went to a preschool that went over the lunch hour and we didn’t pick them up until 1:30.
They both loved it.
They loved the social interaction, the teachers, the structure….and therefore had no problem adjusting to their school schedule. In fact with the SLOW and so-called easy integration they do, with an hour here and there for the first week or so….the actual days the kids are learning anything is sadly shortened and probably set the kids back with boredom and impatience.
I have read many comments about how kids need to be home with their parents for as long as possible and to be able to play.
And in a dream world…this is true. But today’s society and the conditions many families struggle to exist in, this idea is just a pipe dream.
I won’t get into the people who just happen to LOVE their work. Nothing wrong with that either.
For many people today, having any parent at home full time is just not an option.
I stay home. Mainly because I LOVE it and also mainly because financially so far it has worked for us…but WITH many sacrifices..like home ownership, etc.
Also the cost of daycare is INSANE.
Hence why the Liberal Government has gone the cheap and easy way and instead of helping with more affordable daycare for ALL ages in BC, has put forward this idea for full time kindergarten.
Which I am sure for some will be a help. Our school only offers after school care from 3 pm on and NOT for kindergarteners.
This means I rarely meet the actual parents of the kids in the classes, instead it is the grandparents or other care givers who have been called in for the pickups and drop off’s.
While after a long and brutal summer of feral children, I am EXTREMELY excited about the return of school, the thought of my days now filled with two pickups instead of one pisses me off.
My days are basically shot and have to be scheduled between school starting and finishing at 11:20 for my daughter and 3 for my son.
All done with a baby! FUN.
So while it is merely an inconvenience to me, my heart goes out to those parents who are left scrambling for child care…GOOD child care that doesn’t bankrupt them either.
Honestly, I don’t know why there isn’t MORE outrage here in British Columbia about the Liberals. We are waaaay to placid in accepting the abuse being rained down on us with extra taxes, cutbacks in essential services, the Olympic travesty, and so on and so on. The list is endless..yet all we do is grumble.
Instead we should be screaming bloody murder and demanding answers and changes from our MLA’s.
Something.
While I get the governments efforts at keeping what pathetic business and industry we do have in the province, tax increases for the consumers means less money to consume…means less people in the province willing to spend money on said businesses.
The cut backs in health care also means less people ABLE to spend money. And more money needed to spend on those in need.
We have to focus more on the people in need in this province.
Low income and seniors are being crushed by this government.
However, a pathetic petition by the NDP to sign ain’t going to do anything.
It would be nice if our opposition party could actually OPPOSE something.
Please, share your thoughts on all this….would love to hear it all!
thordora says
People like to find non issues. I swear….
I was nervous for Viv, since we never did any preschool/daycare, and had very minimal outside care. She jumped into full “day” kindergarten 8-1:30.
LOVED IT. Absolutely thrived. She was so ready for the challenge, for the work-everything. In Ontario I remember doing Jr and Sr Kindergarten, and only doing half days. Drove my mother insane.
5 is not too young. In our experience, having BEEN home with the kids for the first five, it’s just freaking right.
My issues in our area are more regarding busing-apparently being a bit over 1km is too close for busing in the english system, but not the french, BUT, she can’t walk even some of the way by herself home as they won’t release her. It’s infuriating, and there’s no care provided. Not to mention the constant asks for money for I don’t even know what, the charity requests, the time requests…..
Barbara Doduk says
I think full day Kindergarten is great.
I agree, though that, what we really need is affordable day-care, or large subsidies for the current exorbitant fees that day-care charges.
I don’t know how I am going to handle the cost of day care, it is appalling, and as a single parent with NO financial support from the “sperm donor” I will be stuck balancing work against the cost of day care. It is not something I am looking forward to.
The city (GVRD) generally caters to the wealthy (or wealthy posers) who don’t seem to see a problem with spending overinflated housing costs etc. This city has gone WAY down hill. I would love to move away from the bullshit that exists here. Sadly all my family is here and unless I can get them to move too, I need to stay close to them for support. UGH.
Barbara Doduk says
Oh and don’t even get me started on the HST BULLSHIT.
Peter Bobberly says
HST with Cheese
John Travolta and Samuel Jackson discuss the HST – very funny
Peter Bobberly says
COMEDY – A Parody of Star Wars – with young Luke Bookkeeper- Episode IV – A New Tax. Luke and Obiwan discuss the HST. What if Luke Skywalker was an accountant?
Starring Irvin Leroux – The founder of the Taxfiles (www.thetaxfiles.ca) please visit Irvin at http://www.lerouxed.com
Peter Bobberly says
CREEPY HST VIDEO
HST With CHeese – Video Response
HST WITH CHEESE VIDEO RESPONSE mouse trap fail
WARNING VIDEO CONTAINS IMAGES OF A GRAPHIC NATURE. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE BLOOD OR GORE. DO NOT WATCH THIS. A VIOLENT, SCAREY RESPONSE TO HST …
Late Bloomer says
I would prefer a choice of full day kindergarten or not – every child’s needs are different. Of my three kids, it would have been a suitable option for one, but not the other two.
Affordable daycare is another issue entirely…
Let's tour says
it’s not good to put your child on daycare everyday because children need also the love of their own parents,playing with them,something like that.
Abel says
My little guy loves preschool.. doesn’t want to come home. And I think he is better off there and more stimulated than he would be at home as my wife works at home and can’t pay him all that much attention.. and I’m out and about with a regular job. We don’t send him everyday, just a couple of days a week. I think he’d get bored at home every day, all day.
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