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May 13, 1990

SUNDAY

THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER

"NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

CHRISTEL WHILTSHIRE gazes down at her new-born baby, Garrett, who was recently born at Lions Gate Hospital. Garrett is Christel’s first child
which makes Mother’s Day (today) an extra-special occasion.

Outcry forces school board
to rethink school start times

FOLLOWING outcry from local parents, the West Van-
couver District 45 School Board (WVSB) has agreed to take
another vote on how it will institute the controversial dual-

entry kindergarten program.

Under the program, a_ child
whose fifth birthday falls between
Nov. ft and April 30 must wait un-
til either the following January or
September before entering
kindergarten.

And if a child's fifth birthday

INSIDE:

URS RATT.
Ne Reporter

falls between May 1 and Oct. 31,
he can be enrolled in kindergarten
in either the following September

COCKTAILS & CAVIAR:

WEST VANCOUVER.
- SCHOOL BOARD

or January.

But a group of West Vancouver
parents, who have children with
birthdays that fall) in’ either
November or December, wants the
WYVSB to allow their children to

enrol in” kindergarten in’ the
previous September so that they
can progress through the education
system with their friends rather
than be left behind.

The board, according to the
group, has a choice of when the
children can be enrolled in
kindergarten under dual-entry, but
the school district maintains that
early enrolment would contravene
the school act.

Last month the WVSB passed a
motion to allow ‘*November-
December children’’ into
kindergarten in the previous
September, but only if the educa-
tion ministry supplies the funding
for those children.

The ministry has since said it
will not provide any funds for the
**November-December children’’

See Parents
Page 3