Preschool Education - Essay Example

Accepting pre-school education has become a status symbol in some societies, while some countries are still not comfortable with the idea of preschool education for their loving children for not wanting to be on the competition too early. However, the early training of young ones and making them to prepare for the school education has its importance, when carried out under the proper systematic environment. The history of pre-school education started very early days. In France, before they were officially called "ecoles maternelles" (nursery schools) - a name given then in 1848- they were known as "salles d'asile" (refuge rooms)(Mialaret, 1976).

Since that time pre-school education has been considered a place where children can be kept under loving care of a particular teacher or care taker and at the same time learns some new things which makes him to understand about the growing world. In this context, pre-school education has served its purpose. It prepares a child for higher school education. Thus pre-school education under systematically planned curriculum make children to develop his learning skills, emotional level, spiritual outlook and the attitude towards his own little colleagues.

He practically becomes part of the larger society. In view of the increasingly rapid expansion of preschool education in a large number of countries, and as a result of the inclusion, during the 1970s, of nursery schools in the Unesco Associated Schools Project, education for peace has begun to attract the attention of teachers and teacher educators concerned with pre-school education (UNESCO, 1). Research has established that preschool education can produce substantial gains in children's learning and development (Barnet, 2002; quoted in Barnett and Hustedt, 54-57).

Poverty is sometimes so extreme that parents are forced to exploit even the youngest of their children by making them work or frequently, by sending them out begging (UNESCO, 27). This situation can be largely avoided by the government funded pre-school education. Such systems are seen successful in many developing countries and, many under privileged children have been brought up with dignity and purpose. Other long term benefits for pre-school education include increased high school graduation rates and decreased crime and delinquency rates (Barnett and Hustedt, 54-57).

Many research studies have confirmed preschool's positive effects on school readiness and school success, especially for our most disadvantaged children (Barnett and Hustedt, 54-57). While supporting pre-school education strongly, every parent thinks differently in the developing world and some of them in developed countries also. They think that, sending their children too early out of home and, to an unknown environment might harm their children's behavior and also feels anxious to be exposed to the unknown people.

Many countries in Asia and Africa still are not very comfortable with the idea of pre-school education. They think that children below the age of five or six should be allowed to grow freely by interacting with other members of the family and learning from the nature. Such