The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is considering re-opening McNabb Park Public School, which is currently used as an alternative high school, to ease overcrowding in neighbouring schools.
That's one of a number of solutions the school board is considering, as overcrowded schools cannot easily add portables, says school board chair Jennifer McKenzie.
The early stage of this proposal suggests McNabb would offer early French immersion for students in Grades 6 to 8 from Centretown and the Glebe, according to a school board report.
Overcrowding is an ongoing issue as more families move downtown and another wave of schools begin to offer full-day kindergarten this September.
“Overcrowding was an issue before full-day kindergarten, but it does make things more difficult,” says McKenzie.
This is the second year of Ontario’s full-year kindergarten program, which is currently offered in 29 Ottawa schools, with all schools expected to offer the program by 2015. Almost 800 schools across the province have made the transition this fall.
“We have received more students than anticipated, but it’s a great problem to have,” says McKenzie.
Planning difficulties are common when school boards implement new programs, according to Linda Cameron, an associate professor of early childhood education at the University of Toronto.
“They want to set up wonderful environments for full-day kindergarten but they are having to beg, borrow, and steal from other budgets to make that happen,” she says. “It’s like having an extra child when you don’t have another bedroom.”
Despite these organizational struggles, there are clear benefits for children to be in a classroom for a full day, says Cameron.
Classes focus on play-based learning instead of going to school and sitting in desks all day, she explains.
Critics of the programs note that a full day in school can increase stress in children, says Amedeo D’Angiulli, director of child studies at Carleton University.
“Overcrowding could worsen this. It’s just common sense.”
Early signs of overcrowding indicate that full-day kindergarten lacks proper planning, which may put early education funding at risk in the long term, says D’Angiulli.