No Small Matter

Even with increased emphasis on basic education for all, many individuals fail to achieve basic skills to succeed in life. This presents evidence that one core reason is that by the time a child is old enough to attend school, there is already a wide disparity in cognitive skills and in emotional and behavioural development among children from households of different socioeconomic backgrounds.

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Education is often seen as a fundamental means to improve economic prospects for individuals from low income settings. However, even with increased emphasis on basic education for all, many individuals fail to achieve basic skills to succeed in life. The book presents evidence that one core reason is that by the time a child is old enough to attend school, there is already a wide disparity in cognitive skills and in emotional and behavioral development among children from households of different socioeconomic backgrounds. Fortunately, however, as documented in this volume, there are programs have proven effective in promoting a child’s development through caregiver-child interaction and stimulation and with well designed preschool programs.