High quality early education: two years are better than one

| November 2, 2016

A world class education system is the key to the future, but so far Australia’s children do not start school on an equal footing. Dr Stacey Fox from the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University says it’s time for Australia to catch up with the rest of the world and provide universal access to high quality preschool.

Australia’s most important economic asset is the skills and capacity of its people. Australia’s ongoing prosperity depends on our ability to transition successfully from a resource-based economy to a skills based economy. The economy of the future will require innovators and entrepreneurs, people who can identify opportunities and solve problems and citizens that are creative, collaborative and curious. There will be fewer low-skill jobs available and an ever-greater need to harness the skills, talents and capabilities of the whole population.

A world class education system is the key to the future. But currently, a quarter of Australia’s young people are not finishing Year 12 and aren’t fully engaged in education and training by the time they are 24. Australia’s position in international educational benchmarking tests is declining.

Most problematically, children do not start school on an equal footing. Children’s readiness for school is strongly predicted by their socio-economic status, and the education system is not working effectively to reduce the impact of inequality on young people’s educational outcomes.

Ensuring children have the best possible start is the best investment governments can make to change the trajectories of disadvantaged children, to lift the educational outcomes of all young people, and to position Australia well for the challenges of the future.

Internationally, countries are ramping up investment in the early years as a core part of their economic strategy: they recognise this as an investment in human capital. Most of Australia’s peer countries in the OECD provide two years of high quality early education, and it is time for Australia to catch up.

Universal access to two years of high quality preschool is the next big policy opportunity for Australia.

The evidence is clear. Access to two years of high quality early education develops strong foundations for future success.

Early education helps optimise children’s early cognitive development, giving them the best chance to meet their potential.

And perhaps more importantly, it strengthens the social and emotional skills that are key contributors to life-long success – children’s ability to build positive relationships with peers and educators, to be part of a group, to  cooperate and share, and to manage their emotions and behaviour.

Age 3 to 5 is also a critical period for developing the dispositions that underpin learning – the ability to concentrate on a task, to persist and problem solve when facing a challenge, and for children to believe they are capable learners.

High quality early education has benefits for all children. But the children who benefit most are the ones most at risk of developmental vulnerability.

This means that investment in early education is one of the most effective strategies we have for lifting the attainment of all children while dramatically reducing the impact of socio-economic status on readiness for school.

Currently, Australia only provides one year of preschool, but moving to two years is an entirely achievable goal, even in the context of current economic circumstances.

Given that Australia has achieved universal enrolment in preschool for 4 year olds, and two thirds of 3 year olds are already attending early education and care, moving to universal preschool would involve modest additional investment to:

  • Make sure all children have access to the amount of preschool at the level of quality needed for it to have a significant and sustained impact on their development; and
  • Remove barriers to access for the children who are currently not able to access a preschool program – who are mostly the children who will benefit most.

The Mitchell Institute’s latest report, Preschool – Two Years are Better than One, calls on governments to progress a shared national commitment to delivering two year of preschool to set Australia up for a prosperous future.

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