Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: Preschool becomes the new kindergarden
By Cassie Gentry
University Daily Kansan (U. Kansas)
10/10/2007

(U-WIRE) LAWRENCE, Kan. — Apparently the price of learning your ABC's has skyrocketed.

Last week, Forbes.com published a list of the most expensive preschools. I was shocked to see that the yearly tuition for some was as high as $30,000, about 5 times the KU in-state tuition or my rent for the next 7 years. Granted, these preschools have some things that your standard, church-basement preschool does not provide. At the 92nd Street Y, where tuition is a mind-blowing $17,740, the three-and-four-year-olds "engage in an archeology 'dig' and sculpture projects." In these preschools, subjects covered range from music and drama to foreign languages and sciences. That sounds great.for a fourth-or-fifth grader that could really appreciate it.

How many of us even remember anything about preschool? I have hazy memories of coloring and sitting in a circle. Would I remember more if I had had some extraordinary experiences? I doubt it. I went to Disney World when I was three, which is the pinnacle of events when you're a kid, and I don't remember a thing. To me, the goal of preschool is to gently acquaint your child with the regimented environment of a school. They learn the rules and routines that accompany going to school without the added stress of difficult schoolwork. Intensive lessons in Spanish or classical music don't really fit in my ideal preschool situation.

Forbes.com claims that "kindergarten has become the new first grade, which makes preschool the new kindergarten." Am I the only one seeing that what we are still missing here is an actual preschool? By the time our generation is ready to send preschool packing, the birth will be the new preschool. You will get on a waiting list immediately after your first sonogram, and teachers will come and asses the child's learning capabilities basinet-side when the baby is in the hospital. We will be expected to not only scrimp and save so that our children can go to the college of their choice but also so that they can go to the most advantageous preschools and elementary school. How will we be able to not only combat the rising price of a college education, but also pay the tuition for a preschool that costs nearly as much as a year at Harvard?

The teachers of these schools are propagating that their curriculum prepares near-infants for a later ivy-league education; but to me, it's just a scam. Even if you have the cash to blow, it's still a worthless investment. Rather than throwing obscene amounts of money at a fancy preschool program, parents should be spending time with their children. If you think your child is the next Mozart, then invest in expensive music lessons a few years later when he can handle it.

I plan on sending my kids to the local preschool where they will not only learn to line up properly and share with others but also that you cannot eat glue or crayons. I think they'll still have a shot at Harvard.

[ Back to Student Voices ]