Proposed federal budget favors Kindergarten prep

President Barack Obama’s recently announced his proposed budget for the 2014 fiscal year would invest $71 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Education.

This money will especially be directed toward helping young children enrich their education. Obama’s Preschool for All proposal would allocate $75 billion during the next 10 years to ensure all students begin their kindergarten careers prepared.

“Preschool is one of the smartest and most critical investments we can make,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a news release. “By getting our children off to a strong start, we not only increase their individual chances for lifelong success, but also ensure our entire nation is on the path to a strong future.”

Tim Dunnuck, director of Early Childhood Education Services at IU, said there is much research showing the positive effects of educating children from an early age.

“The earlier you can get kids into programs that can stimulate their learning, the better,” he said.

He referenced studies that show a substantial amount of money can be saved by investing in education. For every dollar spent on early childhood education, he said, $7 is saved later due to prevention of crimes, teenage pregnancy, high school dropouts, etc.

Dunnuck said the main problem is the class system involved in early education. Many people cannot afford to send their children to quality programs.

IU’s preschool program costs families $247 per week for infant full-time care and $178 per week for children up to age 5. He said this is equivalent to what an IU undergraduate might pay for a school year.

Dunnuck said this is particularly unfortunate because these programs are especially beneficial to underprivileged children.

He said he is supportive of the president’s initiatives, but hopes any new programs are modeled after high-quality preschools.

— Sydney Murray