Starting Strong

Abstract

The present paper provides a brief overview of the early childhood education and care policy (ECEC) reviews of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, which began in late 1998 and continue into the present. It is hoped that reviews of 20 countries will be completedby end 2003. The experience of the reviews suggests that a deep-rooted division between care and education continues to delay significant investment in care services for children from birth up to secondary school age. To clarify why this dichotomy persists, the first section of the paper explores the challenge to governments to bring education and care together. The negative consequences of the division are then explored, in particular the great imbalance in investment and supply of services for under-threes and over-threes; the relative neglect of the care in education, including after-schoolcare places for children; and the continuing weak position of women in the labour market. Thirdly, and in contrast, some of the economic (cost–benefit) evidence in favour of public investment in ECEC (including parentalleave policies) is outlined. Finally, some suggestions are offered as to how the divide between education and care might eventually be reduced.