Should all three-year-olds go to preschool?
Listen to this segment on ABC now.
For many children, their entry into kinder or preschool is their first real opportunity to understand social dynamics beyond their home and family – and increasingly, educators believe these early years are absolutely critical for success in adult life.
Overseas, France’s system of early education recently announced that it will now be compulsory for all three-year-olds to attend nursery school.
It is one of number of OECD countries where education for three-year-olds is already at enviably high rates, but how is Australia faring?
Earlier this year a report called Lifting Our Game called on Australia to put greater emphasis on early education, particularly for three-year-olds who are currently missing out.
Professor Deb Brennan was a co-author of that report and Samantha Page is the CEO of Early Childhood Australia, an organisation that advocates for high quality early education for all Australian children.