It's Not Elementary, But Preschool.

A very interesting article in this month's Time Magazine reveals findings of a groundbreaking 25 year study on early childhood education in Chicago. The results?

To cut crime, raise education and income levels, and reduce addiction rates among the poor, no program offers more bang for the buck than preschool....That means having qualified teachers and providing a structured but nurturing environment. In addition to the quality of the program itself, another reason the Chicago preschools may have had such a large impact is that they helped parents feel that they were part of a community and kept them involved with their children's school.

Whether Nablus or Chicago, access to quality early childhood education can have enormous impact on children, parents and communities.  We encourage governments and donors to recognize the importance of funding early childhood education programs. Because if results are what we want, preschool wins.