Bren,

I think there is a misconception that once a child is able to see and hear, they should be able to learn to read and write.

And being able to read and write should give them a good start when they commence primary school at the age of 5.

And it would make life so much easier for those poor, over worked primary school teachers, and they would have to work a lot less, and every day they could start school at 8.45 am and be home by 3.30 pm.

(Weekends and public holidays not included, nor 10 weeks annual holidays a year).

Unfortunately the ability to see and hear is not the only factors in ability to learn.

http://www.nature.com/pr/journal/v57/n5-2/fig_tab/pr2005138f1.html

Indeed, a child’s motor skills don’t start to properly form until 4 to 5 years old.

So the danger is that children will be compelled to sit on their backsides learning to read and write, when their brains and bodies are not developed enough for this, and every cell in their body is telling them to get up, run around and play.

But I guess we have to think of those poor, overworked primary school teachers before anyone else.

I would question the myth that early childhood education is important.
Incomuicardo,
I tend to agree with you on that. Many, many, many potential decent people have been denied their right to develop naturally through early childhood. This gross injustice was incurred upon them by those academic experts who have no inkling of normalcy. Is it any wonder we have have near collapsed societies everywhere ? Social development has been denied & indoctrination enforced. Oh, the intellectuals ! I don't suppose there is such a thing as myxomatosis for intellectuals ? It sure would help getting sanity back on track.

Individual,

It wouldn’t be too bad if they called it a "child minding center", or even a "day car center".

But it becomes a rort when someone tries to convince parents that they should spend a lot of money and put their 3 year old in a so-called “early childhood education center” to learn the alphabet and read and write.

Next mothers will be told it is totally essential to play Mozart to the baby while it is still in the womb.

Incomuicardo,
i'm sure there are plans already on the drawing board for a Mozart experiment.
What I would like to hear from these social engineering experts of say 40 years ago & their supporters of those grand schemes is, how do they feel about their achievements now ?
Do the countless failures & no-hopers make them feel proud ? Are they proud of PC & it's impact ?

Individual,

If it is called “early childhood education”, then there needs to be testing, to ensure the “education” is working.

And this is now occurring, where 4 year olds are being tested.

These 4 year olds have not even started primary school yet.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/297595/Primary_Accountability_and_Assessment_Consultation_Response.pdf

This testing is being carried out to ensure “No child should be allowed to fall behind.”, but the child is being expected to read, write and count by the time they start primary school.

Meanwhile, anyone can test the teachers.

Drive past any primary school at 4 pm and see how many cars are left in the teachers car park.

“early childhood education”,
Incomuicardo,
The above is a term invented to deceive those administering public funding. The beneficiaries are half-baked academic "experts" in psychology & who received their credentials from just a half-baked University professors & the like.
It is all designed to create careers when in actual fact the outcome has already proven to be detrimental to our society. Looking at those youngsters now who have been at the receiving end of early childhood education we can clearly see the failure of this rort.
The correct term would be Early Childhood abuse & bureaucrat career advancement.