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EXCERPTS
From daycare to university, the provincial government is pumping
more than a billion dollars into education, according to Thursday's
budget.
The biggest price tag is $1 billion over five years on full-day
kindergarten, starting this September, for up to 35,000 kids in about
600 schools.
"Our Open Ontario plan will make us the first government in
North America to implemented a full-day learning program for four and
five-year-olds," Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said in his speech,
referring to the throne speech entitled Open Ontario.
...
At one end of the scale there is $63.5 million a year to save
8,500 child care spaces and at the other end $310 million for 20,000
new college and university spaces, both of which start in September.
...
Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said families don't
spend money they don't have and questioned why the government would buy
into a frill like all-day kindergarten.
"This type of program spending given the fiscal situation we're
in is just not affordable at this point in time, particularly given the
high-cost model Dalton McGuinty is proceeding with," Hudak said.
The budget takes the requisite swipe at the federal government,
noting that Ottawa has eliminated funding for childcare. The federal
government's funding of $63.5 million a year for the past five years
ends this month.
"The McGuinty government is stepping in and continuing to fund
the child care spaces abandoned by the federal government," Duncan
said, adding this financial support will help 1,000 child care workers
keep their jobs and "help keep Ontario families working."
...
-reprinted from the Toronto Star