Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Early-Childhood Education Should Make Space for All
... Sad, but true.
Despite studies like Dr. Reynolds' that demonstrate the effectiveness of early childhood interventions, prisons are more likely to get adequate funding than preschools, writes James Forman Jr., J.D., of Georgetown Law School, Washington, D.C.,
"In our country, when we run out of prison space, we simply build more," he writes. "The result is that we have the highest incarceration rate in the world despite being the nation's wealthiest country. Early-childhood education, on the other hand, is woefully under-funded.""The findings from the Child-Parent Centers should not surprise us," he continues. "They prove that a well-designed and well-executed early-childhood education program can make a significant difference in the life outcomes of children from low-income households. They also show that no single intervention is enough: good early-childhood education needs to be accompanied by (among other things) adequate health care and needs to be followed by quality K-through-12 education."
Such programs could, among other benefits, reduce the number of prisons and prisoners in the United States, Forman concludes.
... Sad, but true.
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 5:16 PM 
