An Opposing View on Preschool

One of the most controversial items ever posted in ExchangeEveryDay was the one on August 27, 2008 when we choose to air the views of critics of preschool education.  We believe that it is important to be aware of all points of view, not just those of our friends.  But clearly not everyone agreed.  Here are some excerpts:

In an article, "Protect Our Kids from Preschool," in the Wall Street Journal (August 22, 2008), Shikha Dalmia and Lisa Snell from the Reason Foundation, attacked Barack Obama for his support for preschool education.  They cite evidence that sending 4-year-olds to preschool is not good for them.  Listed below is some of their evidence...

• In the last half-century, U.S. preschool attendance has gone up to nearly 70% from 16%.  But fourth-grade reading, science, and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress — the nation's report card — have remained virtually stagnant since the early 1970s.

• The results from Oklahoma and Georgia — both of which implemented universal preschool a decade or more ago — paint an equally dismal picture.  A 2006 analysis by Education Week found that Oklahoma and Georgia were among the 10 states that had made the least progress on NAEP. Oklahoma, in fact, lost ground after it embraced universal preschool.

• If anything, preschool may do lasting damage to many children.  A 2005 analysis by researchers at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, found that kindergartners with 15 or more hours of preschool every week were less motivated and more aggressive in class.  Likewise, Canada's C.D. Howe Institute found a higher incidence of anxiety, hyperactivity, and poor social skills among kids in Quebec after universal preschool.

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