Abstract:
In Tasmania, as in other states of Australia, there has been a marked shift toward the provision of full-day kindergarten attendance for four and five year old children. A number of reasons have been highlighted to account for these changes although societal and familial changes are common. It is acknowledged that these changes have been made to cater for the changing needs of families as they attempt to juggle work commitments, childcare arrangements and a busier family life in general. However, in the literature parents are often not given a voice in regard to these issues. This paper reports on two sections of a study that aimed to determine parents' perceptions (n = 332) of full-day and half-day kindergarten attendance in Tasmanian government schools. More specifically, the paper examines parents' responses to differing scheduling options and possible improvements to the kindergarten program in general. Overall, parents expressed high levels of satisfaction with the government kindergarten system and the programs offered within it. In relation to the notion of scheduling kindergarten classes for half-days in term one and full-days in terms two and three, 54% of parents indicated that this was a good idea.