Reference no: EM13190087

One of the issues which is briefly discussed in Chapter 9 in your text is the issues of preschool education, particularly in the United States. When we look globally, however, we can see wide variations in the attention that different cultures and countries give to preschool education. Consider the case of France:

Virtually all French children attend preschool, and 8 of 10 go to free, government-supported schools. It's the same throughout much of Europe. More than 90 percent of 4-year-olds in England, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Italy, and the Netherlands attend public preschool. In Greece and Spain, these percentages are nearly as high: 70 percent and 80 percent, respectively. And in virtually every industrialized country in the world, high-quality preschool is provided free-of-charge for children regardless of family income. Critics contend that the United States is the opposite, with a patchwork of preschools, many with weakly trained, poorly paid staff. John Merrow (2002) notes that, "Although 70% of American 4-year-olds and 40% of 3-year-olds are enrolled in some sort of preschool program, the quality ranges from excellent to abysmal, and the cost from id="mce_marker"5,000 to zero. Teachers' salaries may be $38,000 a year-with benefits-or as little as $8 or $9 an hour without benefits." (p. A15).

Children are born into poverty in France and the United States at the same rate-25 percent in the United States and 24 percent in France. By age 6, however, child poverty in France decreases to 7 percent, while in the United States it drops only to 17 percent. The greater improvements in France are due, in large measure, to differences in government policy in the two countries. For one thing, children in France are born into a socialized system of universal health care and financial support for families. New mothers, for instance, receive 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, which many combine with the several weeks of paid summer vacation French citizens enjoy in order to stay home with their newborns much longer. When French mothers do go to work outside the home, they can place their babies in a government-subsidized child-care center-called a crèche-where they make co-payments based on their incomes. The directors of the crèches are public-health nurses with child-development training. And the adults who work with the children, called "young-child educators," are required to have at least two years of training.

Part 1 - Paint the Picture of the Foreign System

For this week's discussion, I would like you to pick a country (ideally, one that someone else has not picked!) and consider the following questions related to preschool education:

1. Briefly compare this country with the United States in terms of overall affluence (e.g., percentage of children living below the poverty level) and the overall quality of its health care system.

2. What types of government support are provided for parents with young children, especially single mothers and fathers? How does this compare with the support provided in this country? (In your answer, be sure to address issues such as maternity leaves, child-care assistance, and health insurance).

3. Overall, how does the educational system of this country compare to that of the United States? (In your answer, be sure to address issues such as the length of the school year, the use of testing, and how the curriculum is set.)

Part 2 - Critically Analyze Implications of Differences and Make a Case

1. In looking at the comparison you have made, how does this affect your view on preschool education in the United States? Especially consider recent attention to "reform" the "crisis" in education. 

2. Should the United States be doing more? Less? How do the overall cultural values of the United States affect and influence this discussion?

3. Support your side in #2. That is, if we should be doing more, how could this be accomplished? If we should be doing less, what research or findings support this conclusion?

For part 1 of this assignment, you do not necessarily need to cite peer-reviewed articles, but do be sure to evaluate your sources of information. That is, if you start with Wikipedia, for example, push yourself to find the citations that are made in the article. In sum, be sure you are finding the correct information and citing it correctly.

For part 2, you should be looking for peer-reviewed information to support your ideas. Especially consider the research relating to the value of preschool education and care.