Quality Programs For All Children

The general public in America seems to have varied opinions about quality early childhood education. In Jamaica there has been a lot of talk about quality early childhood education. Sorry to say that’s the most it really gets, that is, talk. Politicians especially use early childhood as a political platform, hoping to win votes from parents and other stakeholders for their next election. Because of the lack of knowledge early childhood is really treated unfairly. It is the first sector to receive a budget cut and many ignorant persons just believe that early childhood is not so important at all. Large sums of money is being spent on remedial programs and although the government has quality early childhood programs in their pipeline at the pace at which things are going I really don’t how much of a public opinion will change in the next five years. For the next five years I am really hoping that the country will get its act together with regards to quality early childhood programs. The government along with other stakeholders not only needs to understand the importance of investing in early childhood. By investing I mean paying early childhood practitioners, providing professional training and investing heavily in research that supports quality early childhood practices. If we don’t get our act together very soon we are going to continue going down the rough and winding road. We will continue to see significant increase in crime, increase in social issues and poor economic gains. We will continue to feed people and not teach them how to feed themselves. My dream for the next five years is to see resources being pumped into the early childhood programs so that every citizen will be afforded the opportunity to fend for themselves and realize that poverty is only a state of mind.