The test that my daughter was asked to take in the week before she started pre-Kindergarten was a recognition of the huge gulf that separates the haves from the have nots in this country. The district would argue that this wasn't a test per se, but rather a "benchmark," a means by which the teacher could identify what students' strengths and weaknesses were.
But what 4-year-old enters pre-Kindergarten knowing how to write his or her name?
The answer: probably not many, but there's an increasing likelihood that some will. And, given the trends, more and more will.
So what will the socioeconomic profile be for these extremely precocious children?
The answer: not hard to guess. Parents that can afford to send their kids to academically-oriented preschool will have "the upper hand," they'll have "the edge" over the other kids. Their kids will have been given "a head start."
What are the implications of this?
The answer: also not hard to guess. Parents will be expected to to teach their children to acquire these precocious skills themselves or they will be expected to pay others to do it for them. Those parents that cannot do this themselves or that cannot afford to pay someone to do it for them will be regarded as deficient if not negligent.
Low-income parents are already sufficiently vilified in our society. Now they are being cudgeled even further. As the saying goes, "The beatings will continue until morale improves."
No comments:
Post a Comment