Make Pre-K a Prerequisite.
It has been proven that pre-K has a direct impact on children’s educational success. From the get go the quality of pre-K, if given the opportunity, has a significant effect on: children’s speech development, knowledge in basic skills and different levels of exposure to literature and language (preschoolsnsw.org). Although it is evident that preschool is a necessary need for children, why isn’t it accessible to all children? Upper-class families are definitely enrolling their 3–4 year-old in top quality preschool. Parents earning a high-income are investing up to $22,000 on preschool for their children, who have been referred to as “Baby Ivies” for that same reason, in Jonathan Kozols book, The Shame of The Nation (2005). Middle-class families are typically providing their 3–4 year old with good quality or private preschool, if they can afford it or are struggling to do so. The qualifications needed for state funded preschool also exclude “middle-class” families who make slightly more than the “required” income-level; loosing the opportunity to enroll their child in preschool.On the other hand, children who come from low-income families must earn below a certain income-level, and are chosen by priority, to receive state funded preschool programs. Additional downsides to state funded preschool programs are that a majority of these preschools only offer part-time programs (cnbc.com). This interferes with parents work schedule or the need for additional child care, and adds pressure for working-class parents to sustain their family. It is evident that preschool is essential in early childhood development to increase educational success. As a leading country, there should be a demand in quality preschool for all children regardless of social class and income.
“Universal” or state funded Pre-K would be beneficial if it was accessible and required for all children. Drawing along the same reasons that all youth would benefit from public schools if they integrated children from all social classes and essentially race as well. It is about more than diversity, it is about quality. Since the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, a new segregation has risen in the U.S and has become a separation of class and race (Kozol, 2005). It is evident that upper-class families set higher standards for their children’s education due to their social mobility. High-income neighborhoods have good quality schools even if they’re public schools due to private funding by parents. This offsets the balance in low-income neighborhoods that receive lower funding due to their location and difficulty to fund raise for better school quality (wnyc.org). Thus, school funding effects school curriculum, teachers, school maintenance, and most importantly teaching strategies. You see then, that if an integration of social classes was put in effect, low-income students would benefit from the resources available to those who come from a high-income neighborhood.
10 reasons that Pre-K should be Required and Integrated:
- Exposure to language and literature at a young age.
- Engaging with other children of the same age, gaining cooperative skills and goals.
- Access to preschool for families of all income levels.
- Could integrate children of all socioeconomic backgrounds, exposing them to diversity.
- Higher standards and expectations for teaching pedagogy will be set if Pre-K is integrated.
- Can provide quality Pre-K that will encourage vigorous curriculum and school environment.
- Critical thinking will be triggered at an earlier age and prepare children for future education.
- Disadvantaged parents will have the opportunity to work and not depend on public aid.
- Investment gets put into all children and their education as it becomes a requirement for all.
- No child will be left behind.
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