Many states don't require students to attend pre-school or even make pre-school programs mandatory. However, a long-running study has found that pre-school actually does have beneficial effects. These effects include employment and delinquency rates, and are especially prominent among disadvantaged children.
I have learned about the positive effects of pre-school effects in many of my classes during college, and it always amazes me how such a simple program can have such a dramatic effect. Hopefully, schools, daycares and state boards of education will take these results to heart and begin to expand and enhance these programs as well as require free early elementary programs.
Showing posts with label education gap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education gap. Show all posts
Monday, June 13, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Education Gap
The New York Times had another thought provoking article on education today. I took a class on the Sociology of Education last fall, and as someone who has grown up with an educator and actively volunteers with children all the time, I find America's education system fascinating.
The Education Gap is a real problem. Students cannot be expected to achieve on the same level if they are not given the same amount of opportunities and resources. Some students have college-educated or higher parents who are devoted to seeing their children succeed, and have the time and money to devote to this. However, a majority of children come from households where their parents haven't gone to college or even graduated high school, they work all day to give their children the basics and English isn't necessarily their primary language. This isn't the parents fault like many people like to claim. The parents are trying the hardest using the resources and experiences they have, but it's nearly impossible to catch up in today's world. So, while it would be great for all children to be treated equally, the reality is that some students will need the extra help and will need the extra resources if we ever want this "Education Gap" to start shrinking.
The Education Gap is a real problem. Students cannot be expected to achieve on the same level if they are not given the same amount of opportunities and resources. Some students have college-educated or higher parents who are devoted to seeing their children succeed, and have the time and money to devote to this. However, a majority of children come from households where their parents haven't gone to college or even graduated high school, they work all day to give their children the basics and English isn't necessarily their primary language. This isn't the parents fault like many people like to claim. The parents are trying the hardest using the resources and experiences they have, but it's nearly impossible to catch up in today's world. So, while it would be great for all children to be treated equally, the reality is that some students will need the extra help and will need the extra resources if we ever want this "Education Gap" to start shrinking.
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