Early childhood education in the United States has been criticized for its disappointing results. A new study found that all of the country's 50 states and the District of Columbia face poor employment conditions and low-quality services for children.
A report published this week by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California, Berkeley found that U.S. states have inadequate efforts when it comes to employee compensation, highly trained teachers, and professional work environments. A recent analysis from the Department of Education supported these findings and found that early childhood educators are underpaid even though they are required to possess the same certifications and trainings as kindergarten and elementary school teachers.
There are around two million early childhood educators in the U.S. Majority of them are women who educate approximately 12 million children from ages 0 to five.
Education Starts At Birth
James Heckman, a Nobel Prize winner and early childhood education expert, said education starts at birth. The skills children possess when they enter kindergarten determine their path to college success, higher salary, and social mobility. These skills play a bigger role in kids' adult lives than high school tuition or student debt, The New York Times reported.
Developing early childhood education, however, can be hard. A report from the Center for American Progress found that only a small number of four-year-olds are enrolled in high-quality classrooms. As expected, minority and children from low-income family have poor chances of being enrolled in high-quality education programs.
According to the U.S. News & World Report, 85 percent of brain development occurs before a child turns three. Providing children with development programs during their early years influence their ability to form relationships and navigate the professional world when they become adults.
How To Solve The Problem
CSCCE's report advised the federal government and states to provide appropriate compensation to early childhood educators, the U.S. News & World Report noted. Economic security also has a hand in attracting and retaining highly skilled early childhood teachers.
In addition, the report recommended workplace supports and early and thorough preparation for the childhood programs. When there's preparation, educators have ample time to prepare their teaching skills for children. Workplace supports, meanwhile, boosts educators' development and well-being.
The Obama administration has rallied for a universal pre-K program and has allocated a $1 billion investment in early childhood education, PBS wrote. Hillary Clinton also advocated for Obama's universal pre-K program in line with her policies dedicated to improve childcare quality and affordability, Pacific Standard noted.
