Universal preschool
Universal preschool
Universal Preschool is the notion that access to preschool should be avaialable to families similar to Kindergarten. Child advocates have different definitions of the definition of who is included and how it is to be funded. There has been a move to change the name to Preschool for All. Like Kindergarten, the concept is to have a voluntary program, unlike education, that is mandated by law in the United States with exceptions to allow for homeschooling and alternative education. Advocates have argued over:
- the age of children eligible for the service of preschool with some taking the more traditional view that priority should be provided to children four years of age and others believing that brain development dictates that learning begins at birth and declines significantly by age eight.
- Other child advocates believe that children except for those in institutions are in a family, whether it be a two parent family, single parent family, foster care, guardianship, kinship care that often requires a full day rather than a part day preschool.
- Child advocates point to the head start model as ideal with parent involvement and education, social services and a family focus as critical to a quality preschool.
- A last issue for child advocates is whether the preschool should be provided by government, usually through public school systems or whether the existing diverse delivery system. Currently most preschool used by families consists of public, nonprofit, church related, private for profit and in home settings (family day care).
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Support of universal preschool
- Research based studies that show significant positive outcomes for children who attend preschool, especially children who are “at risk.”
- Public School reformers who feel that many children start out behind in school for a variety of reasons including lack of social skills, not knowing English or lack of experience in a group educational setting.
- Advocates who see society as having a responsibility to all children
- The rate of return for preschool in later years for children who have access to preschool.
Opposition to universal preschool
- What’s coming out of Oklahoma and Georgia, two states that implemented universal preschool over a decade ago–is not particularly promising. Last year, the gains in reading scores of fourth graders in both states ranked among the bottom 10 on the National Assessment of Education Progress tests–the premier benchmark for comparing student performance across states. Even more stunning, not one of the 10 best performing states had universal preschool programs.
- Universal preschool advocates often underestimate the cost of universal preschool. This is what a sober assessment of a similar universal day care program in Quebec suggests. The final price tag for Quebec’s day care program is 33 times what was originally projected: It was supposed to cost $230 million over five years, but now gobbles $1.7 billion every year. Much of the increased spending has gone not toward increased access, but increased costs. Day care worker unions, on the threat of strike, negotiated a 40 percent increase in wages over four years.
- Universal prschool often creates long waiting lists and results in disadvantaged children competing with higher income children for preschool access. In Quebec many low-income parents, who lost their child care tax deductions in order to finance the program, have been crowded out by middle- and upper-income parents more savvy at negotiating the system. According to research by Peter Shawn Taylor for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, half of Quebec’s day care spaces are taken by families in the top 30 percent income bracket.
- Home schooling movement that believes children should be educated by their families and not by the government
- Anti-government movements that believe that the government does not do well with providing services, except for police, military and fire
- Extreme capitalists that desires the privatization of all functions including even private prisions and private roads.
- Private preschool providers who may feel threatened economically by a system that could exclude their participation.
- Those opposed to the particular funding mechanism or desire the funding to go to another benefit instead of Universal Preschool.
Movement
- The Universal Preschool movement started in France with Ecoles Maternalles in 1834.
- Various other European Countries adopted some form of Universal Preschool including Sweden.
- The movement gained ground in the United States as public opinion changed from viewing young children as the responsibility of only families to a shared responsibility of families and society. To date, various states have begun implementation of a Universal Preschool system including Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, Oklahoma and others. Many programs have been started by the Legislature and Governor. New Jersey’s program came out of a court decision based on the poor quality of education in large parts of the state (Abbott versus Burke). Florida’s Universal Preschool was established by initiative approved by the voters that left much of the program to be implemented by the Governor and Legislature. Georgia dedicated their lottery profits for preschool.
- On June 6th, 2006, California voters will be deciding on an initiative that would establish part day preschool for all four year olds as a constititional right. The initiative also has an unusual provision that would provide for a dedicated tax on those in very wealthy income brackets that would be placed in a separate fund that would not be part of the state budget. The initiative can be found at Preschool for All Act (pdf). The initiative is sponsored by Film Director and Actor, Rob Reiner
External links
Web resources on studies and information on the Universal Preschool Movement:
- EarlyEducation
- Trust for Early Education
- Preschool California
- National Institute for Early Education Research
- The Economics of Investing in Universal Preschool Education in California, RAND
Web resources making THE CASE AGAINST universal preschool.