Having being born and raised in one of the poorest countries in the world, and having been born in a middle class family, I have always been aware that social inclusion and equity is almost none existent in Bolivia. It is as it is all over the world though; people with money get the better education than those in the lower end of the pyramid. It has also been seen, personally, that there is a great connection with low income, poverty, and home violence. Good early childhood education programs in this country are basically non-existent.

According to UNGEI, early childhood refers to the period between birth and 8 years of life. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) relates to different processes and mechanisms that sustain and help development in the early years of a child’s life. It views many different aspects of the early life such as education, physical, social and emotional care, intellectual stimulation, health care and nutrition. It also includes the support a family and community need to promote children’s healthy development. http://www.ungei.org/files/End_Decade_Note_-_Education_for_All_.pdf

Many different organizations (UNESCO, UNICEF, EFA) believe that early childhood may be one of the most important stages in the life of a person, because it determines how this person will do in their future lives. The relationships they have, the way their parents treat them, the type of schooling they get, their economic status etc., all may contribute to the type of adult this child grows up to be.

Research hows that children who go to high-quality prekindergarten programs will most likely graduate from school, they won’t repeat grades, need special education, or get in trouble with the law later on. These quality programs are very important in giving a child a chance at success in their future lives. http://www.epi.org/publication/bp348-public-investments-outside-core-infrastructure/
These high-quality prekindergarten programs will eventually pay for themselves in less than one year and also save the states and the federal government billions of dollars. Investments in high-quality preschool can carry eventual benefit-to-cost ratios as high as 8-to-1. (Economic Policy Institute)http://www.epi.org/publication/bp348-public-investments-outside-core-infrastructure/

There is a very important psychological term called resilience. According to APA, resilience refers to the ability that a person has to be able to adapt well and “stand back up” in difficult situations like a loss, stress etc. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx.

Many factors contribute to the forming of resilience in a person. The main one may be growing up in a caring and supportive environment within and outside the family (i.e. school). Secure relations with love and care help children create a sense of security that will help them deal with different situation, create confidence in themselves, have good problem solving skills etc.

Resilience is a successful adaptation to difficult events, but it also has a very big impact in the child’s/adult’s everyday social, physical and intellectual challenges. If the child hasn’t developed this “survival” tool, their chances of a successful life (good performance in school, chances of getting a good job etc.,) will be minimized. http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/documents/SameroffANGxp.pdf

But the question here is, What if the child doesn’t have a strong resilience built in him because of many different factors at home? Does this have to define their success or failure at school? I believe schools should develop early childhood programs that not only help them academically, but also psychologically.

Many different organizations have realized the importance of every single child getting an excellent education, no matter their social situation. The UNESCO, for example, have said that all children have a right to a good early education and care, therefore, one of their projects has been working with children in Rome, introducing them into an all inclusive education. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002275/227503e.pdf The UNESCO also created the Education for All Movement (EFA), which is a global commitment to provide all children, youth and adults, with quality basic education http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121147e.pdf . This has six major international goals, aimed to meet by the year 2015. These goals basically state that everyone should have access to quality education, especially the underprivileged groups. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/.

Most educators know that it is a child’s right to have a good early care and education. Every child should be able to have access to an education that has the same standards as everywhere else in their country, but I believe education should have world-wide standards, and also that every country should focus on the children who need this the most. In 2007, the Committee on the Rights of the Child told states they needed to make sure that every young child, especially those on the lower end of the pyramid, should be guaranteed access to appropriate and effective services, this including programs of health, care and education designed to promote their well-being. They said that they should focus more on those children groups that were most vulnerable, and at most risk of discrimination (UNCRC).

In Europe, for example, many things are already being done to help improve inclusion mechanisms. Some case studies were conducted in 2008 in Cyprus, Finland, Latvia and Spain on inclusionary and exclusionary practices in pre-schools as part of the European Commission’s project that was called INCLUD-ED. These case studies showed the importance of effective inclusive practices in pre-schools, by having a heterogeneous group of children in terms of ethnic background, educational level/ability, gender and age. They also undertook effective curriculum planning and support for learning, which considered children with different ethnic backgrounds and special needs, offering them special assistance in the classroom. The teachers held positive expectations on the children’s abilities and learning, trying not to have any negative aspirations. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002275/227503e.pdf

Following the same ideals, UNICEF is also an organization that promotes free and quality education for all children, and they believe that education shouldn’t be a privilege, but that it is a basic human right. There is a problem here though; that the world crisis is causing organizations and governments to not be able to fund good quality education, and this will affect the poorest children. http://www.unicef.org/education/bege_61657.html

In the United States, The Strong Start for America’s Children Act (S. 1697/H.R. 3461, also promotes high-quality early learning opportunities for children from birth until age 5. This important legislation would establish a new federal-state partnership to be able to help fund states that are already in the progress of making high-quality prekindergarten for 4-year olds from low-income families. They would also encourage states to support prekindergarten for 4-year-olds from moderate-income families, and also create programs for even younger children, like the Early Head Start programs.  http://www.nea.org/home/57367.htm

The NEA has also written about the long-term benefits of early childhood education, and they’ve shown some research that shows that giving children a high quality education before the age of five has a positive impact in the long run.

One of those studies is the Highscope Perry Preschool Study, found that children who were enrolled in a quality preschool program earned up to $2,000 more per month than those who were not. They also found that children who were enrolled in these programs were more likely to graduate from high school, own homes, and have longer marriages. http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=219

Other studies, like The Abecedarian Project also showed that children who were in good quality preschool programs are less likely to repeat grades, need special education, or get into future trouble with the law. http://abc.fpg.unc.edu/

The AFT has also taken into consideration the importance of a good quality early childhood program. One study they have seen is the Chicago Longitudinal Study and the Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study. This study has also shown that a high-quality early childhood education increases the chances that children from disadvantaged backgrounds will become successful students and citizens. This study has demonstrated that these programs give children secure and caring relationships both with the educators and caregivers, stimulating learning opportunities and experiences that prepare them for the later school years.
These programs help children handle formal schooling, and also help children succeed by giving them language skills that are more developed, a better sense of group work and play with other children, and a grounding in other basic academic and social skills. They also have positive expectations about school.
Children who have gone through these programs also have more secure relationships with adults; these children are better equipped to follow directions and more likely to trust figures of authority and be able to communicate their needs. Young children are capable learners, and having these types of educational experiences during their preschool years makes it possible for them to learn at a faster rate, become better readers and, consequently, better students. http://www.aft.org/issues/schoolreform/readiness/index.cfm
The World Bank also considers early childhood education programs to be extremely important for the life of a person. Evaluations of well-conceived programs for early development show that children who are involved in these programs are more successful in school, are more socially and emotionally competent, and show better verbal, intellectual and physical development during early childhood than children who are not in this high quality programs. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTCY/EXTECD/0,,contentMDK:20259127~menuPK:527099~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:344939,00.html
There are several ECD programs in the United States, and they have also shown in their results that being enrolled in these ECD programs increased school completion rates. Another study also suggests that these programs help children complete school since it establishes that good academic performance in the early grades is a significant predictor of eventual high school completion. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTCY/EXTECD/0,,contentMDK:20259127~menuPK:527099~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:344939,00.html

It has been seen that an ECD program can improve performance in the early grades, and therefore, it increases the probability of high school graduation, and better future wages and employment opportunities. Besides increasing earnings through increased schooling, participation in ECD programs can also reduce criminality and lower welfare usage when these children grow up to be adults. (Schweinhart et al. 1993).

I live in a developing country, and there have been some ECD programs for countries like Bolivia. Children who participate in these programs have shown positive outcomes. Several longitudinal studies have demonstrated many benefits, some of which include improved cognitive development and school achievement,(Glewwe, Jacoby and King, 2001), higher school enrollment (The Colombia Promesa program), less repetition (Colombia Promesa study, in the Alagoas and Fortaleza study in Northeast Brazil, and in the Argentina study all had on average lower rates of repetition). LOOK FOR THIS STUDY TO PUT IN BIBLIO, fewer dropouts, (India's Dalmau program, Colombia's Promesa project, India's Haryana project, Chaturvedi et al 1987, Grantham-McGregor et al 1991) and help for the disadvantaged and reduced social inequality.

CCSSO has also developed an Early Childhood Initiatives program works with chief state school officers, state education agencies and other partners to work in the health development, learning progress and school success of young children ages birth to five. What they want is to eliminate disparities in learning opportunities and outcomes for at risk children. http://www.ccsso.org/News_and_Events/Current_News/Obama_Sells_Race_to_Top_Early-Childhood_Education_in_State_of_the_Union.html

There needs to be various assessments to see where these children are.  One of these is the Early Childhood Education Assessment (ECEA), that helps enhance a child’s learning and school success from birth through 3rd grade. This assessment helps states design and implement standards for children and classroom/program quality, child & program assessments, and data, accountability & program improvement systems for early education, kindergarten and primary grade programs.  

http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Programs/Early_Childhood_Education_Assessment_%28ECEA%29.html

Today’s world is a very competitive one. It is very difficult for college graduates to get good jobs if they don’t have, along with the degree, an MBA or a PHD. Therefore, to make sure that all students are ready for a good education after college, the Common Core State Standards establish clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in math and English language arts from kindergarten through 12^th grade. These new standards also provide teachers ways to measure he student’s progress throughout the school year and also make sure that students are heading for a successful career.

http://www.corestandards.org/what-parents-should-know/