"The principle goal of education in schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.
-Jean Piaget, Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher
Education is important. Early childhood education is even more important in developing a workforce. Around the world, much attention is now being paid to this period in a child's life.
Many economists, educators, and journalists have researched and proven that the first five years in a child's life determines much of the rest of their life and educational potential.
The American Ounce of Prevention Fund states that at-risk children who don't receive a high-quality early childhood education are:
‧70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime
‧60% more likely to never attend college
‧50% more likely to be placed in special education
‧40% more likely to become a teen parent
‧25% more likely to drop out of school
James Heckman received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2000 for his work in developing human potential. His work proved that in creating productive citizens emphasizing the development of cognitive skills where knowledge can be tested is not optimal.
Rather, the development of social skills must be combined with cognitive skills. Social skills include persistence, attentiveness, and working with others, and together these create a capable and productive work force. A key part of this understanding is that social skill development must take place early in a child's life.
With investment in developing social and cognitive skills at an early age, returns on our investment are between 6-10%. These are realized through lower medical costs, lower crime rates, and higher workforce productivity. In a US federally funded program that tracked participants until they were 26, every dollar spent in Chicago parent-child centers generated $4-$11 in returns.
The graph below clearly demonstrated the stronger impact of early investment. Clearly paying attention to the first five years of a child's life is very important; for their sake and our own.