It’s back-to-school time. That means asinine sales-tax holidays, as well as dropping far-too-young crumb crunchers off at government facilities that claim to provide “early childhood education.”
This column, from 2014, if one of my favorites. Enjoy!
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Is there a trendier public-policy proposal than “universal preschool”?
Ubiquitous institutionalized education for tots satisfies elites’ need to wage what T. S. Eliot called “the endless struggle to think well of themselves.” In addition to the president, the Pew Charitable Trusts noted approvingly, “lawmakers and local officials from both sides of the aisle agree on the benefits of prekindergarten.” Why, no respectable person doubts that it can close the “achievement gap,” fight “income inequality,” and boost the nation’s “competitiveness” in the global marketplace.
Unfortunately, a check of the research reveals that preschool is worthless.
A newcomer to the issue should consult “The Evidence on Universal Preschool: Are Benefits Worth the Cost?” Published by the libertarian Cato Institute and penned by David J. Armor, professor emeritus at George Mason University, the paper is concise and scathing assault on the naïfs who believe that America’s little ones need to spend more time in unionized, government-monopoly schools.
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