The development of public school kindergartens in British Columbia
Creators: name: Weiss, Gillian M.
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2010

description: In 1972, the New Democratic Party government of British Columbia mandated provision of kindergarten classes for children up to one year younger than the compulsory school attendance age; henceforth any five year old could attend a public school kindergarten. The government considered this move to be a milestone in British Columbia educational history, but like much social legislation, it did little more than recognise in law what was already taking place in fact. This thesis examines the development of public school kindergartens in British Columbia, from the opening of the first classes by the Vancouver School Board in 1944, to the legislation of 1972. It attempts to trace not only the physical establishment of classes, but also to discover the goals and objectives of those who supported the inclusion of kindergartens in the public school system. In order to place British Columbia developments in international perspective it is necessary to take into account the kindergarten movement throughout the rest of North America. The first chapter, therefore, deals with the German origins of the kindergarten in the first half of the nineteenth century and the subsequent development of the kindergarten idea in the United States half a century later. It examines the reasons for the enthusiastic acceptance of kindergartens in the United States as well as the changes that took, place as a result of increased research in areas such as psychology and human development. These changes resulted in a concept of kindergarten that was quite different from the Froebelian original. The second chapter deals with developments in British Columbia from the mid 1940's to 1972, examining the war-time conditions that led to the first serious discussions of the need to provide some sort of facilities for preschool children. It then traces the gradual expansion of kindergarten classes in the Vancouver and Victoria School Districts. These two School Boards in the province's two largest cities were for some years alone in their concern for provision of kindergarten classes although they had the enthusiastic support of many parents and educators. The Department of Education on the other hand showed a marked lack of interest in kindergarten. The final chapter identifies and explores the changing theory of kindergarten education in British Columbia during the same time period, 1945-1972. This again necessitates some reference to events and contemporary educational thought throughout North America. It also requires a re-examination of much of the material used in the second chapter, for example, the Report of the 1960 Royal Commission on Education, to show why kindergartens were being called for by both educators and laymen, what role they were expected to play within the public school system and how that role changed over the years. Two main points arise from the study. First, the momentum for the establishment of kindergartens came largely from those who had the greatest contact with the children themselves, namely, parents and educators. The school Boards were initially reluctant to commit themselves although they eventually entered the field with enthusiasm. The Department of Education and successive Liberal and Coalition governments avoided the kindergarten issue as best they could and the eventual legislation simply recognised the consensus that had developed. Second, although educators continue to talk about the importance of freedom in the kindergarten classroom there has been an increase in emphasis on beginning formal school work, particularly pre-reading and writing skills, in the kindergarten year. The result is an effective lowering of the age of school entry.