A new study indicates more than a quarter of Surrey kindergarten students were not prepared – emotionally, socially, developmentally or otherwise – to start school last year.

The findings are detailed in the latest Early Development Initiative (EDI), a report by the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) that assesses the development of kindergarten students.

Researchers at the University of B.C. have used the tool to monitor the province’s kindergarten children since 2001, measuring their development in five areas: physical health and well-being; social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive development; and communication and general knowledge.

The latest report uses data from 2008-09, collected from neighbourhoods with 35 or more kindergarten-age children. Data was collected from 47 sites throughout the city.

Overall, researchers found 28.4 per cent of the 4,000-plus Surrey children included were vulnerable on at least one scale of development – a trend that has held relatively steady since the first EDI was completed eight years ago.

The figure is slightly better than the provincial score, which shows one in three kindergarten kids lack the social, physical or cognitive skills to keep pace with their peers.

But that’s no reason for Surrey to sit back, said Susan Papadionissou, executive director for the Office of Early Childhood Development, Learning and Care for Surrey/White Rock.

“Even though Surrey does not demonstrate extreme vulnerability across the region, we can’t be complacent because large-scale demographic changes are just around the corner,” Papadionissou said. “We have the largest number of children and youth in British Columbia, therefore we must be vigilant in maintaining our strengths while at the same time addressing the neighbourhoods that are vulnerable.”

While the Ocean Park neighbourhood had the lowest level of vulnerability (7.4 per cent) in the city, more than half of the children assessed in other neighbourhoods such as Newton, Gateway and Whalley South were deemed vulnerable on at least one scale of development.

The study shows that vulnerable children come from all walks of life and the problem is that of the middle class, not poverty related.

District-wide, the largest proportion of children vulnerable was on the Communication Skills and General Knowledge scale at 13.6 per cent.

The smallest proportion of children vulnerable was on the Language and Cognitive Development scale at 11.2 per cent.

Surrey’s overall score went down slightly – from 30.3 per cent in 2006/07 to 28.4 this year – showing progress is being made in improving early childhood outcomes. Fleetwood West alone reduced its child vulnerability from 34 to 15 per cent.

“Kindergarten kids are sort of the canary in the mine shaft, if you will, for the school district,” said Surrey Board of Education Chairperson Laurae McNally.

She said she was “keenly interested” in learning more about the data – including causes and ideas for addressing shortfalls – at a day-long workshop Tuesday (after The Leader’s press deadline) at Lena Shaw Elementary lead by HELP director Dr. Clyde Hertzman.

- by Sheila Reynolds and Tracy Holmes