Should full-day kindergarten be an option in Saskatchewan? [Video]

Parents and educators across Saskatchewan are showing support for full-day kindergarten, something the province does not currently fund.

“Data across the globe shows that full-day, every day, kindergarten is one of the best tools that we have to get kids to reading grade three in grade three,” Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation (SPSF) CEO Zeba Ahmad said.

All provinces expect Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Nunavut have full-day funding for kindergarten.

Grandma Sharon Strongarm said half-days can be a burden on working parents, and many kids enjoy a full day.

“What are you going to learn in half a day,” Strongarm said. “(Kids) want to be in there always with their friends, learning and getting used to one another.”

The past four years the SPSF has supported full day kindergarten learning in 25 Saskatoon schools.

SPSF is an independent charity working in partnership with Saskatoon Public Schools to support students, schools, and teachers. They previously ran a $20-million initiative to …