Do we really need Universal Pre-K? | Teen Ink

Do we really need Universal Pre-K?

June 8, 2023
By Zebalulat16 BRONZE, Manchester, Connecticut
Zebalulat16 BRONZE, Manchester, Connecticut
3 articles 0 photos 0 comments

The first day of school is a milestone in the life of a 5-year-old. This is the day they take their first step in the world in their own way. This is the day they become more responsible than they were. This is the day they enter the education system which will be their daytime home for the next 12-13 years.

The first education level children are enrolled in is kindergarten. What exactly does kindergarten education consist of? According to VeryWell Family, "Once enrolled in kindergarten, your child will learn basic concepts like reading, writing, math, science, time, shapes, and more. These skills will form a foundation for learning future concepts in each subject". This suggests that in kindergarten, children are learning very basic things which prepare them for upcoming education. After kindergarten, children are promoted to 1st grade and then 2nd grade and this continues until they graduate 12th grade or complete their desired high education. This means they will never have a time in which they can just be a child and do nothing. The idea of having Universal pre-k takes away children's freedom of enjoying their childhood. What education can be taught before the basic education level? Children are already getting basic education in kindergarten, pre-Kindergarten is just adding more responsibilities for children and teachers and fewer responsibilities for some parents.

When children are enrolled in schools, they are taken care of by teachers. The younger the children are, the more responsibilities are added for a teacher. To provide quality education and a good environment around the children, teachers will require more observations and assessments. Teachers are paid not enough for their hard work under pressured environments, According to Rasmussen University," pre-k teachers in New York, where full-day pre-k is provided to children as young as three years old, were often paid much less than teachers with equal education and experience who worked in the public elementary school system." Obviously, This makes pre-k affordable for the government but not worth it for teachers. It is the parent's responsibility to spend time with their children and educate them. Pre-Kindergarten does not seem to be necessary to establish as many children are placed in daycares or private pre-Ks as per parents' choices. As a result, instead, the Government can spend money on university tuition which is expensive for students.

The education children receive is based primarily on the government, which they will receive for their lifetime from educational institutions. There are different forms of education other than schools and universities and even if they don't learn much at the beginning of 5 years it is okay because they are children and they don't need to be busy doing things every time. Even though children who attend pre-k are more active/smart in their education, however, children who don't attend can be successful too. Why are we burdening children in the name of education? Yes, education is important but school is not the only way to educate our kids. Instead of sending children to read and write at the age of three, they can learn other useful things for them in this world. Parents can spend those 5 years of their lives teaching moral values, discipline, respecting each other, and religion, or just let them enjoy their childhood years freely in which they don't have any responsibility. Because even if you are as young as 3 years old, once you get into school, you have a responsibility.

 

Works Cited

Peacock, Fiona. ""10 Thoughts Parents Have on Their Child'S First Day of School." " -Wiktionary,
bellybelly.com.au/child/10-thoughts-parents-have-on-their-childs-first-day-of-school. Accessed 26 May 2023.

Bainbridge, Carol. ""What Your Child Will Learn in Kindergarten."" - Wiktionary, 2 November 2022, verywellfamily.com/typical-kindergarten-curriculum-1449039. Accessed 26 May 2023.

Brooks, Ashley. "Exploring the Potential Pros and Cons of Universal Pre-K." Rasmussen College, 9 July 2020, rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/universal-pre-k-what-is-it-why-affect-me/. Accessed 26 May 2023. 



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.