Virginia is planning a pilot program for the state’s proposed universal preschool program, an issue that helped Governor Timothy M. Kaine get elected. The pilot program is to begin next year for 1,000 children. The results will be looked at as the program is gradually expanded to include all four year olds in the state.

The Start Strong Council, a group of educators, business leaders and lawmakers convened by Kaine to help launch his ambitious proposal, issued a report yesterday saying that the state also should develop standards for class size and curriculum and work with area colleges to create teacher-training programs. — Washington Post

This isn’t mandatory, yet, but I’m sure it will be eventually. And when it is? I can’t really imagine setting a curriculum and standards for four year olds anyway, but will the state allow a parent to say that the primary purpose of her preschool is bonding?

This is part of a nationwide push toward universal preschool, with the goal of federal support (and eventually control…NCLB for four year olds). We even had an amendment on the Nebraska ballot (which passed) to create an endowment fund to provide for the establishment of an early childhood program. Advocates stress educational advantages. School districts and states are understandably interested in any effort to improve test scores. Parents want free daycare. But is it best for children?

Experience provides little reason to believe universal preschool would significantly benefit children, regardless of family income. For nearly 40 years, local, state, and federal governments and diverse private sources have funded early intervention programs for low-income children, and benefits to the children have been few and fleeting. There is also evidence that middle-class children gain little, if anything, from preschool. Benefits to children in public preschools are unlikely to be greater or more enduring. — Cato Institute

Incidentally, Germany is batting this idea around as well. But the SPD (Socialist Party of Germany, one of the two leading parties), wants more than preschool available for all.

State Education Secretary Wolf-Michael Catenhusen thinks that education reform is to important to be left to the individual states. “We need a national strategy for a better education. No state may depart from it.” So like any good politician, he assembled a team of experts to analyze the problem and give feedback. The summary of their proposal (my translation):

At the core of their vision is a preschool for children from three to six. It should be free and offer a high-quality, standardized education. Every family would be required to send their children. “It is more important to even out the disadvantages of underprivileged children than to respect the wishes of those mothers who would prefer to have their children at home.”

That is just frightening. Being required to turn your children over to the state at the age of three with no other option but to leave the country. But being a bit of an optimist by nature, I’ll end with a speck of good news: “…in almost every country that has some kind of a universal preschool program, there is also a homeschooling movement gaining ground! Parents are actively participating in the education of their young children–and as the studies show, that is the foremost determining factor in a child’s academic success.” I’d say success in all areas of life, not just academic.

What is the relevance of Germany? Most of our education reforms seem to be stemming from there, one way or another. The greater emphasis on preparing students for the workforce, the push for a national exit exam, and the desire for increased trackability. The only thing I haven’t heard talked about the creation of a three-tiered education system to fully segregate students by career tracks in the fourth grade.

Consent of the Governed has some further insight into universal preschool.

But what riles me most is comments like, “You are not serving your child properly if you are waiting till age 5 to educate your child.” This implies that parents are incapable of teaching their children anything, and that everyone should hand over their children to the credentialed “professionals” as soon as possible, or risk ruining their children’s chances for a fulfilling and successful life forever. Don’t forget that in addition to adding more teachers to the NEA’s membership, that what is really going on here is that they need your kids so they can collect and track data on their health and development, in order to develop more public policy! There is a war going on over your children. — Consent of the Governed

That summarizes the issue pretty well.

This article was originally published at Principled Discovery.