The impact of early childhood education in the human, social and economic development.

We know that today the social and economical impact of the early education in the human being and the society is very difficult to measure, and it’s especially trying to prove that it’s profitable to invest in it to public policy makers. We also know that there are important investigations and studies that confirm that the cost-benefit to society for the investment in early education is very high.

The early childhood education can also increase the yield of the investment in elementary and high school education. It can too increase productivity and income of the persons who receive it as well as raise the academic performance and reduce the risk of school desertion. All these helps to make more efficient the public expenditure because it reduces the social cost of school grade repetition, underage crime and drug abuse.

James Heckman, Nobel Prize Winner for economics in 2000, declares that the return for the investment in individuals that received early education is 8 to 1, that the career, personal and professional success probabilities are higher and that the social benefits for diminishing the negative indicators of crime, delinquency, violence and school failure are great.

On another field, Fraser Mustard, renowned Canadian neuroscientist, has proved that the brain in the first years of life has a better plasticity and its potential depends on the environmental, nutrimental and stimulating conditions for the child. The repercussions for not taking proper care of these conditions in this period of life reduces the possibilities of neuronal development and the mental capacity of the individual.

The society is the most economically beneficiated when the development of the child is taken care of. This is because when the child grows up and becomes economically active, it’s a more productive adult. So there not only are short-term benefits for the children, but also in the long run there are additional long-lasting social and economic benefits as the person is better fitted to help their family, community and country.

Alumni follow up

The CENDI has 17 years of data from the Alumni Follow Up Program, the academic records of the alumni are annually recorded, capturing academic and social behavior data as well as observations of teachers in the following grades, the parents and the alumni themselves. We also have polls and semi-annual reunion parties for them and their parents.

These records show that our alumni are academically successful, sociable and with highly developed leadership skills, active and participative persons as well as good sons and daughters in spite of the harming environment in which they live. With these positive results we can validate that the early education is a determinant factor for the human being, not only as preparation for the next school grade, but for a very potentially successful future.