First the good news… The expectation of a quality preschool education is a good one.

But the bases for the rest of the article have turned me into a grumpy old man.

The providers of quality preschool age child care should be their parents and families. It should be an expectation that parents and families arrange their affairs in order to do this - of course it won't always be easy and without self-sacrifice, but it should be regarded as a pre-requisite for having children.

To attempt less risks a culture of blame shifting. "It's not my fault my teenager's a thug, obviously the daycare she got from six months of age wasn't quality! I'm going to sue."

Unless, it occurs to me, the push for extended hours care centres for the cognitively-challenged people in society who prefer their food puréed is a cunning plan by bureaucrats to save money into the future by eventually combining young and old age care into single facilities.

Does make a weird sort of sense. Both require lots of care and attention, locked gates to stop them wandering and copious use of nappies.

And I just realised, it's a time efficient service for the work-hassled middle generations who can visit their children and their parents in one go.

Okay – I've now changed my mind, it's all good, as long as it is 'quality'…

Welcome to the "Extended Family Extended Day Care Centre for the Edentulous".

Exactly Susan,exactly!
Rhrosty.

WmTevor,

"The providers of quality preschool age childcare should be their parents and families. It should be an expectation that parents and families arrange their affairs in order to do this - of course, it won't always be easy and without self-sacrifice, but it should be regarded as a pre-requisite for having children."

Yes!

Of course, your attitude would fly in the face of the modern phenomenon whereby tots are conveyed into the factory for processing at ever more tender years so their folks are free to embrace consumer society to the fullest extent.

I wonder why Finland has such superior education outcomes when they don't start schooling their children until seven years-old. Methinks it's got something to do with the fact that infants learn what they need to learn perfectly well in a home/community environment - they always have.

(not to mention a superior education model)

There is a much better and easier solution to the problems of the younger child.
The solution is to make compulsory, as part of the early education system, one hour per week of discussion between the children themselves, of open ended questions, preferably questions arising from a story or poem.
Such a system has been reliably shown to reduce bad behaviour and to teach youngsters mutual respect. As a by-product each child's intellectual capability will improve by 6-7% and the child will make much improved decision throughout their life as they mature.
The NSW ethics classes are based on this concept which is explained by the report on this site at;
http://onlineopinion.com.au/documents/articles/Clackmannan.doc

Yes, Foyle,

It's extraordinary that very young children learn from pottering around and asking questions. Infants, toddlers and young children at home with a parent or carer usually spend the day doing stuff, emulating their parents and siblings - and yes, having all sorts of discussions in a one-on-one situation with the people around them. They aren't required to have to vie for attention with a hoard of other children all around the same age.

I wonder which is the optimum circumstance for learning?

Yes, it is important that "children" receive a "systems" free introduction into this "adult" world, Santa Claus is a myth that gives adults some amusement, they say the children love it, they might, but when they realize they were made use of and lied to I wonder what they think of their parents and those who told them "it's all true-we wouldn't lie to YOU".
The "easter bunny" is another example, these dishonest myths set the pattern of "it's ok to lie-my parents did!"
I was lucky, my mother told me from the beginning "it's just pretend" we would laugh at the antics of other members of the family and adult friends who wanted me to accept their fairy stories as truth. I was never forced to accept religion as truth, I went to "sunday school" just to see why other children thought it was so important, I realized it was their parents that insisted they be there, most thought it was silly and boring but "I'll get in trouble if I don't go" was the usual cry when I wanted to play in the park instead of listening to the giggling halfwit telling us fairy stories, I was lucky I had a choice.
What this shows is that children should NOT be forced to accept any "belief system" when they are at a vulnerable age, and their parents are virtually blackmailed into sending their offspring to Church.