'Jamaica has starved early childhood education'

WHEN ALL children have access to a quality education rooted in human rights and gender equality, it creates a ripple effect that influences generations to come. This was the message delivered by GraceKennedy's non-executive chairman Douglas Orane at the Seventh-day Adventists Laypersons Services and industries conference, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston recently.

Orane spoke against the background that there was need in Jamaica to invest more at the early- childhood level of education, a cry echoed by many Jamaicans, including Early Childhood Commissioner Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan. He made reference to research done by Samms-Vaughan, which showed that the malleability of a child's brain is greatest at birth and, therefore, the child learns the most in the first few years of life.

Referring to seminal work done by Nobel Prize winner Dr James Heckman, Orane noted, "It is ironic that it has taken an economist to elaborate on a principle that sociologists have known for a long time."

ONE-DOLLAR INVESTMENT

Heckman demonstrated that a one-dollar investment in early- childhood education results in a return to society of $17. Heckman also identified other societal benefits of investment in early-childhood education, among them a more productive workforce, greater economic growth, lower crime rates, smaller prison populations and substantial savings for taxpayers.

"What he has demonstrated is that investment in early-childhood education not only creates a better educated person, but has spin-off effects in terms of better coping skills, mastery of language, better family dynamics, reducing anti-social behaviour among young people on reaching adulthood, and a host of other benefits to society."

Orane opined that Jamaica has virtually starved early-childhood education of resources, instead focusing on financing secondary and tertiary education.

To correct the imbalance, Orane recommended a series of prescriptions, which have also come out of Heckman's work, including high- quality early care and education as an investment to help our children - future citizens.