john bennett

Table rondeL’accueil et l’éducation de la petite enfance:

Un levier pour réduire les inégalités des chances?

Ronde tafelKinderopvang en kleuteronderwijs:

Een hefboom voor het milderen van ongelijkelevenskansen?

11 mars/maart 2009Salle des Congrès – Congreszaal

Avec la collaboration de – in samenwerking met

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The importance of the early years in the human development cycle

Dr. John BennettSenior researcher for the OECD Starting Strong Network

Contents of the presentationContents of the presentation

Part I – What the scientific evidence says about the early years Part I – What the scientific evidence says about the early years

The neurosciencesThe neurosciences The economic evidenceThe economic evidence The education sciencesThe education sciences

Part II – How might countries respondPart II – How might countries respond

Reduce child poverty and ensure equitable educational Reduce child poverty and ensure equitable educational outcomes for children at-riskoutcomes for children at-risk

Provide better quality in existing servicesProvide better quality in existing services

Refuse the vocabulary of child care, child minding…Refuse the vocabulary of child care, child minding…

Turn back the century old tradition of ‘schoolification’Turn back the century old tradition of ‘schoolification’

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Part I Part I

What the scientific evidence saysWhat the scientific evidence says

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0 1 4 8 12 16

AGE

Human Brain Development – Synapse FormationHuman Brain Development – Synapse Formation

The years from birth – to – three are an optimal time The years from birth – to – three are an optimal time to support language and cognitive growthto support language and cognitive growth

SensingPathways

(vision, hearing)

Language

HigherCognitive Function

3 6 9-3-6

Months Years

C. Nelson, in From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000

Con

cept

ion

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The risk of irreversibility in early childhoodThe risk of irreversibility in early childhood if the environment fails to reinforce the genetic dispositionif the environment fails to reinforce the genetic disposition

Sensing pathways Sensing pathways - : infant cataracts… infant middle-- : infant cataracts… infant middle-ear infection… ear infection…

Socio-emotional development Socio-emotional development – the Romanian – the Romanian orphans orphans

Cognitive development Cognitive development – the higher order functions, – the higher order functions, such as reasoning, conservation, concept and such as reasoning, conservation, concept and vocabulary building, etc. develop more slowly… but vocabulary building, etc. develop more slowly… but note the ‘window’ for language development and note the ‘window’ for language development and the language deficit of excluded childrenthe language deficit of excluded children

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UNICEF, Belgium 11 March 2009

Language and Vocabulary Growth – First 3 YearsLanguage and Vocabulary Growth – First 3 Years

High SES

Middle SES

Low SES

1200

600

012 16 20 24 26 32 36

Vocabulary

Age- MonthsSource: B.Hart & T. Risley. Meaningful Differences in Everyday Experiences of Young American Children, 1995 (Reference: Mary Young, World Bank)

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Ignoring the neuroscience researchIgnoring the neuroscience research

Many European countries do not give sufficient attention Many European countries do not give sufficient attention to early childhood as the foundation stage of human to early childhood as the foundation stage of human development…;development…;

In particular, pre- and post-natal services may not be In particular, pre- and post-natal services may not be easily accessible to low-income familieseasily accessible to low-income families

Parental care (opportunities to breast feed), and the Parental care (opportunities to breast feed), and the avoidance of stress in infancy may not be given due avoidance of stress in infancy may not be given due importanceimportance

The importance of touching and verbal interaction with The importance of touching and verbal interaction with infants and toddlers may be overlookedinfants and toddlers may be overlooked

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The economic researchThe economic research

Economic ‘returns’ analyses are driven essentially by Economic ‘returns’ analyses are driven essentially by the avoidance of negative consequences:the avoidance of negative consequences: Criminal activity – especially when linked to a cultureCriminal activity – especially when linked to a culture Lower academic achievement (including lack of Lower academic achievement (including lack of

concentration and aggressiveness)concentration and aggressiveness) Teenage pregnancy and delinquencyTeenage pregnancy and delinquency Poor psychological well-beingPoor psychological well-being Poor peer relationshipsPoor peer relationships Unemployment or the inability to hold a jobUnemployment or the inability to hold a job

Children from low-income SES groups are more likely to have Children from low-income SES groups are more likely to have poorer health outcomes; a prevalence to illness; mental health poorer health outcomes; a prevalence to illness; mental health problems; longer illnesses; longer hospitalisations; more problems; longer illnesses; longer hospitalisations; more delinquency; longer terms of unemployment …delinquency; longer terms of unemployment …

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Heckman’s curve - Heckman’s curve - Rates of return to human capital investments Rates of return to human capital investments across all ages: across all ages: in addition, 0-3 investment pays in terms of in addition, 0-3 investment pays in terms of labour labour market, job creation, enlarged tax base…market, job creation, enlarged tax base…

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and their families

The education evidence The education evidence

Education evidence comes from a score of Education evidence comes from a score of countriescountries

Professor Brooks-Gunn, Columbia University, Professor Brooks-Gunn, Columbia University, confirmed before the US Senate that:confirmed before the US Senate that:

High quality programmes improve the school High quality programmes improve the school outcomes and behaviour of most young children. outcomes and behaviour of most young children.

Effects are strongest for poor children and for children Effects are strongest for poor children and for children whose parents have little education. whose parents have little education.

Positive benefits continue into late elementary school Positive benefits continue into late elementary school and high school years, although effects are smaller and high school years, although effects are smaller than they were at the beginning of elementary school. than they were at the beginning of elementary school.

Programmes that are continued into primary school, Programmes that are continued into primary school, include parents and offer intensive early intervention, include parents and offer intensive early intervention, have the most sustained long-term effects. have the most sustained long-term effects. For comments: bennett.paris@gmail.com 11

The pattern of US (and most other countries!) education The pattern of US (and most other countries!) education investmentinvestment

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Part IIPart II

How might countries respond?How might countries respond?

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Reduce child poverty - child poverty in OECD Reduce child poverty - child poverty in OECD countries, c. 2005countries, c. 2005

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Access of low-income children to care services in FlandersAccess of low-income children to care services in Flanders (Source: Kind en Gezin, (Source: Kind en Gezin, Child in Flanders, 2006Child in Flanders, 2006))

All children, 55.7%

One-parent families, 48.0%

Low income (Belgian),

21.7%Ethnic

minority, 12.7%

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

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The PISA findings for BelgiumThe PISA findings for Belgium

Ensure equitable educational outcomes for children at-riskEnsure equitable educational outcomes for children at-risk

“13% of 15-year-old students in Belgium have an immigrant background, compared to 9.3% across the OECD. Generally, these students lag considerably behind. In Belgium, first-generation immigrant students – that is, students who are born outside the country of assessment and who also have foreign-born parents – lag 93 score points behind their native counterparts, a sizeable difference considering that 38 score points are roughly equivalent to a school year’s difference. This performance lag compares to the OECD average (58 score points)… Unlike, for example, Switzerland, a similar picture emerges for second-generation immigrant students.” PISA, 2007)

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Provide better quality in existing early childhood servicesProvide better quality in existing early childhood services

Refuse the vocabulary of child care, child mindingRefuse the vocabulary of child care, child minding… a losing … a losing concept that does not correspond to the neuroscience evidence concept that does not correspond to the neuroscience evidence which points to foundations:which points to foundations:

Health, well-being and motor developmentHealth, well-being and motor development Social and emotional development, including learning to live Social and emotional development, including learning to live

together, participation… To support the competent child requires together, participation… To support the competent child requires positive approaches to the child’s natural learning strategies, to positive approaches to the child’s natural learning strategies, to autonomous learning , to parental inputs…autonomous learning , to parental inputs…

Language development and emergent literacyLanguage development and emergent literacy Cognitive development and general knowledge Cognitive development and general knowledge

Turn back the tradition of ‘schoolification’Turn back the tradition of ‘schoolification’, that is, organising the , that is, organising the pre-school along primary school lines: excluding parents; high pre-school along primary school lines: excluding parents; high child:staff ratios (unsuited to children from excluded backgrounds); child:staff ratios (unsuited to children from excluded backgrounds); lack of a ‘fit-for-purpose’ training; inadequate curricula and lack of a ‘fit-for-purpose’ training; inadequate curricula and pedagogies…pedagogies…

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Thank you!Thank you!

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