Crowded, chaotic classrooms hurt Ontario full-day kindergarten push

Some full-day kindergarten classes in Ontario are crammed with as many as 40 students, so many that the children can’t fit on their classroom carpet for group time, raising questions about the Liberal government’s ambitious program.

As Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government rolls out full-day kindergarten to all schools this fall, documents obtained by The Globe and Mail through freedom-of-information legislation show the Ministry of Education has been inundated with complaints from parents and educators about large classes impeding learning.

Ontario has staked its reputation on the success of the program, even though critics have characterized it as an expensive form of government-subsidized daycare that the Liberals, facing a $12.5-billion deficit, can ill afford...