Group calls for integration of ECE and school systems

Canada is losing out on the benefits of early childhood education (ECE) due to a disconnect between daycares and schools, says a newly released report that recommends integrating child care into the broader education system.

The research from People for Education said a proper childcare setup would help give kids the skills they need to carry them through life, including communication and critical and creative thinking.

But the inequitable, pricey and poorly co-ordinated Canadian system doesn’t pass muster, the group said.

“Policy and practices that are the focus of early learning in most Canadian jurisdictions often ‘fade out’ when children enter elementary school due to a lack of continuity and common goals through all the stages of our education systems,” the report reads.

As it stands, access to early learning varies based on province.

The report said 73 per cent of two- to four-year-old children have a space in the child-care system, and early childhood educators have a salary roughly 66 per cent of the average teacher’s salary.

In Saskatchewan, however, it said that only 27 per cent of that age group have access to a spot in daycare and ECE workers receive just 37 per cent of the average teacher’s salary.

Access also varies within the provinces, the report reveals.