Talking Education

In Obama's State of the Union Address earlier this year he emphasized practical education in addition to academic achievement. He proposed an expansion in early childhood education which hold a very high importance. The idea if this proposal is to provide high quality pre-k for 4 year olds from families whose incomes are at or below 200% of the poverty line, at or below $47,000 for a family of 4. Studies have shown what early stimulation and education can be highly effective for your children. The program aims to create a greater equality of opportunity for youths to succeed and go far with their education, starting in pre-k. The organisation of Economic Co-operation and development (OECD) concluded in their 2012 report that early childhood education "improves children's cognitive abilities, helps to create a foundation for life long learning, makes learning out comes more equitable, reduces poverty and improves social mobility from generation to generation." Americas poor children suffer more than Europe's from malnutrition which affects the ability to learn. Malnutrition is a product of poverty. The US is far behind other countries in terms of educational performance. Pre school really can give children significantly better lives but only if the teachers are well trained and held to rigorous performance standards, ensuring that children receive the proper education and the level of education they rightly deserve. When pre school programs are well designed and staffed by trained teachers they can be the single best intervention to breaking the cycle of chronic poverty which affects a number of families and children across the nation.