Well the first week of school is over. Phew! How was the adjustment for you? In my busy, boisterous kindergarten class the first few days passed in a torrent of tears (not mine), lots of requests for mommy, hours of reminders and gentle coaching about routines, and heaps of giggles, songs, and fun.
My Facebook newsfeed is awash with back-to-school reactions. There are countless adorable fresh-faced kids smiling for their first day photos, decked out in their new school clothes. There are several inquiries about lunch ideas, from what to send, how to pack it and how much say the school should have about what goes into those lunches.
And, this year in particular, I have noticed a lot of parents expressing concern over kindergarten class size.
Kindergarten should be a wonderful, exciting time for our little ones. The junior kindergarten year is all about experiencing school for the first time — learning the routines, making new friends, honing their social skills, and generally finding themselves as students. Senior kindergarten is about learning the academic basics that will set your child up for success in grade one and beyond. Both years are about inspiring curiosity and fueling a love of learning.
For me, the ultimate goal in these early school years is producing kids who are happy to attend school and eager to learn.
It may seem simple, but that becomes a lofty unattainable goal with over-crowded, understaffed classrooms. According to a Globe and Mail article from Tuesday, the government has no plans to cap the class sizes in full-day kindergarten. Apparently some classes have as many as 40 students! I cannot even imagine the chaos that those numbers would dictate.
My classroom is currently a very respectable 23, and I’ll admit, even at that number, the first few days were tough. Out of 23 students, you can assume that several have significant learning, behavioural or social needs, plus there are a handful of students who are new to the country or new to English. Often diagnoses and identifications have not yet occurred and support services at the kindergarten level are minimal — certainly non-existent for the first few months.
The government reminds us that each classroom is equipped with both a teacher and an Early Childhood Educator (ECE), so you can theoretically divide the class size by two. This is true, sort of. In my school, we have three kindergarten classes, but only two ECEs. The class without the ECE is kept to a smaller number, but it is still worrisome to have only one adult in the room. Some of the students are 3 years old and still need help using the bathroom. If the teacher is out helping a little one do up a tricky button, who is supervising the rest of the class?
Also, here’s something I just learned this year. The ECEs are paid by the hour and only paid for a 6-hour day. Teaching time exceeds 6 hours and with setting up, cleaning up, and other duties, most teachers put in 9 or more hours a day. This means the the ECE is entitled to specified breaks and an hour lunch during the school day. Often ECEs are required to supervise the students during their lunch hour, which means the ECE’s lunch hour must come out of teaching time. Again, we are back to one adult in the room, sometimes with 40 kids!
Schools do their best.
Every school I have ever worked at recognizes the unique and sometimes overwhelming needs of the kindergarten program. If there happens to be extra hands available at a time, they are sent to kindergarten. Principals push for services and supports as early as possible for high needs students, although the bureaucratic reality of the school board means it often takes one to two years for correct placements and programs to be found. Most kindergarten teachers I know are dedicated, caring individuals who will work tirelessly to create a positive learning environment for your child, in the face of many challenges.
Wouldn’t it be great if those rolling out the full-day kindergarten program and those controlling the educational purse strings would work just as tirelessly to set up your child for success? It’s hard to see your little one bravely go off to kindergarten — shouldn’t our parental anxieties be eased knowing our wee ones will at least be in a class of a sensible, manageable size?
For more on kindergarten, see Five Important Questions to ask the teacher and Let the Games Begin.
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