School for the littlest ones

The youngest ones in your households have an increased opportunity to attend kindergarten this academic semester, with Lester B. Pearson School Board's "Kindergarten for four-year-olds" program expanding to include local schools such as Thorndale Elementary and Greendale Elementary in Pierrefonds/Roxboro, Bishop Whelan Elementary in Dorval, and Mount Pleasant Elementary in Hudson.

"There's a number of studies on the importance of early childhood education programs," stated Pearson chairman Marcus Tabachnick, as validation of the board's decision to expand its fledgling program from last year.

Tabachnick said early education has proven to improve a student's chances at a better academic life in later grades, and this type of reform is being enacted in several states south of the border as well as Ontario.

As the school board does not have a provincially funded budget for the program, parents who wish to enrol their children are asked to pay a fee of $100 a month. "It offsets a part of the cost of the teachers," said Tabachnick, adding the latter are specialized in child education.

Tabachnick decried the fact that the provincial government does not subsidize the "kindergarten for 4 year olds" program for Lester B. Pearson schools. The Ministère de L'Éducation, du Loisir et des Sports (MELS), Tabahcnick said, insists the program can only be subsidized in underpriviledged areas, where children need it most.

Tabachnik said he hopes this will change in the future.

For more information on registering your child, call 514-422-3022.