Pre-K Schools Study Raises Questions On Benefits

A study by the Manhattan Institute raises some question about the benefits of Pre-K education for all children.

The study says in part, "The Covid-19 crisis has dealt a substantial blow to the child-care industry and stymied the expansion of public prekindergarten. As America recovers, policymakers will have to make tough choices with limited budgets.

"Progressive politicians, including President Biden, have called for an unprecedented expansion of federal investment in early education, arguing that it would boost women’s participation in the workforce and that the long-run academic benefits for children would yield economic dividends."

The study says the child care industry would boost women's participation in the workforce, but the academic benefits for all children does not withstand scrutiny.

"...a deeper look at the most rigorous and representative research on the effects of early education for children provides more cause for alarm than optimism. Expanded child care likely benefits deeply disadvantaged students. For other students, these programs may have no impact, or have a negative effect on cognitive or noncognitive measures. These findings are consistent with—and likely partly explained by—recent advances in our understanding of neuroscience and child development. Studies suggest that many children exhibit higher levels of stress hormones—colloquially termed “toxic stress”—in child-care environments than they do at home, which could leave a lasting physical impact on their brain architecture."

The Manhattan Institute concludes, "In light of the troubling findings from social science and the scientific literature, policymakers should not directly invest in a model of child care that may harm many children. Rather, any additional investment in early education should come in the form of an expanded child tax credit, which can help families improve their children’s home environments and which could also be directed to center-based child-care options at their discretion."

More information: https://www.manhattan-institute.org/drawbacks-universal-pre-k-review-evidence