Sixty-six percent of American 4-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood education, placing the United States well below average compared to other developed countries at a time of increasing focus on early learning, according to a report released Tuesday.
As U.S. presidential candidates weigh the costs and benefits of early childhood education on the campaign trail, the report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development points to a growing global recognition of its worth, the report’s authors said.
While enrollment figures for American 3- and 4-year-olds didn’t change much from 2005 to 2013, the OECD averages went up significantly. In 2013, an average of 88 percent of 4-year-olds in the countries surveyed were enrolled, compared with 72 percent in 2005. For 3-year-olds, the average enrollment went from 52 percent in 2005 to 74 percent in 2013.
In the U.S., 41 percent of 3-year-olds were enrolled in 2013, compared to 39 percent in 2005.
“There is increasing awareness of the key role that early childhood education plays in the cognitive and emotional development of the young,” the report said. “As a result, ensuring the quality of early childhood education and care has become a policy priority in many countries.”
