In the face of ever-rising standards for elementary school students, certain states are looking to the possibility of universal preschool to raise test scores.
Is preschool a universal right? Proposition 82 could decide the issue of whether preschool should be provided free of charge to every 4 year old in California three times a week at an estimated cost of $2.6 billion dollars to the wealthiest taxpayers in the state.
Proponents of the program attest that with the increase in demands placed on kindergarteners academically that the only answer is to have quality daycare provided by the state- free of charge. The educational content that 4 year olds receive in preschool widely differs between centers that provide this childcare-from simply providing a few hours of supervised play and instruction in how to paint and hold scissors, all the way up to phonics and math education that allows some students to enter kindergarten already reading, or well on their way to reading. The choice of whether to send children to preschool will still be a voluntary one, but for parents who have not been able to send their children to a quality preschool prior to this, the opportunity is an attractive one.
This results in a dilemma for elementary teachers, for either certain children are left playing catch up once they enter a "real school" or they are bored with studying what is to them remedial instruction. By providing preschool free of charge the state will also be able to enforce stricter guidelines for what children are learning.
Opponents of the program state that it is an unfair to require the richest portion of California residents to pay for elective schooling for the rest of the population. They also attest that this program is merely a P.R. stunt with the Rob Reiner as a spokesperson for the "Preschool For All" movement. Some also say that this will drive out the personal touch that appeals to many parents in their choice of preschool. Some children attending preschool may only developmentally be ready for a small amount of time away from mom and dad, and attend preschool as a form of socialization, while others are ready to begin to read and to write. If teachers are forced to provide preschool in a universal manner, people worry that this will leave some children with a program not ideally suited to them.
What is your opinion? Should preschool be a universal right for all? Or should the choice of setting and content be totally be left up to parents and other guardians? Be sure to give your opinion in the comment section of this article.
If this article interested you, please visit my blog post: Preschool For All
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