The government should prioritize and invest in child development because a child's psychology and mental health permanently influences their adulthood.

While the level of education a child receives further determines the future of their personal developments, it also benefits the economy within the society.

Everyone’s psychological health is built up from childhood. Investment in child development should be seen with utmost importance because a child’s mentality influences them until they become a grown-up.

Studies have shown that family, the basic social unit of society, is an important factor in a child’s mental development.

This reveals the fact that means that parents are the ones with the greatest influence over a child’s psychological development.

According to John Bowlby, a British psychologist who originated the attachment theory, “the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life” (Bowlby).

Although early childhood is when this theory occurs, as Bowlby mentioned, its effects are seen throughout the entirety of his or her life.

Bowlby explains that children who have been close to their parents were easily comforted, felt protected, and survived easily to adulthood.

In the present day, however, child neglect continues to occur at an alarming rate because both parents tend to go to work.

Neglect makes the child mentally unstable, which can lead to other major related social issues such as such as juvenile delinquency.

One of the main processes that builds up an adult is not only psychology but also education.

The accumulated knowledge of one's life piles up one by one the most during early years.

Education provides the medium for human development.

The definition of human development is in improving one’s well-being and the approaching of one’s freedom.

According to UNESCO, childhood education is important because “it aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing.” (UNESCO).

A child’s future is heavily dictated by the education he or she received during young ages, enlarging their freedom and opportunities and improving their welfare.

Therefore, sending children to a pre-educational system at early childhood will enhance their human development.

The current state, however, not all kids get pre-school education, as well as the fact that children from low-income families attend lower quality early education programs.

This shocking reality has led to the debate of several states currently debating on providing free high quality education for all 3 and 4 year old children.

According to Jessica Alvarado, a Bachelor of Arts Major in Early Childhood Development, education during born-to-five years old is “when children learn critical social and emotional skills and a partnership is formed between the child, their parents and the teacher.

When this is done successfully, it lays the groundwork for it to continue throughout the child’s education”(Alvarado).

Being able to evolve socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically during their early childhood eventually supports children to be accustomed and well-adjusted to societal norms and to recognize their potential in development, carrying on until they become an adult.

Some people might argue that the government should not prioritize and invest in child development due to the reality that the number of elderly is increasing as the lifespan of humans increases due to medical development.

Therefore, policies to improve the average quality of life for older people should be held at a higher value of importance than child development.

Nonetheless, to do well in welfare policies for an aging society, the nation’s finances must be abundant, and in order to do so, the nation’s economy must be solid.

According to Katherine Barret, Council of State Government Senior Fellow and expert on state government, the problem behind the aging population is that “as people age, they are inclined to earn less, and as a result they bring in less money for states through income taxes.

They’re also inclined to spend less, which can decrease sales tax revenue” (Katherine).

Countries become more reliant on the revenue streams that decrease with the aging population, turning to sin taxes.

Our income tax is called “progressive tax,” which indicates that the higher income you have, the higher tax rate you pay.

Then, the more people earning higher income will benefit enhancing the country.

For this purpose, the government should rely on the young, who will definitely have more potential to earn money than the elderly, to collect taxes.

The enhancement of an individual education is closely related to tax revenues.

As an individual’s education helps to pay taxes later, early child education has a huge impact on further education as one grows older.

Thus, early childhood education leads to higher college degree completion rates.

According to the National Institute of Health, “students who participated in an intensive childhood education program from preschool to third grade were more likely to achieve an academic degree beyond high school, compared to a similar group that received other intervention services as children” (NIH).

The outcome of investing in early childhood education will not only increase the amount of enrollment but also increase the tax rate, which creates the government to easily strengthen the country.

All psychological cognition is constructed during childhood. All knowledge based on the education received during childhood heavily determines one’s future development.

All concerns regarding child development attests economic advantages. All youth is our future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle Kim

Grade 11

Korean International School