The SVG Green Party has formally written to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves to call for a high priority to be given to pre-school education in SVG.

Science has shown that the early years are crucial years in the development of a child’s holistic development. A child needs a strong foundation of education in order to progress to university and that must come in those early years at preschool and primary school. Without a good grasp at primary school of the 3 Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic – a child will be adrift in a secondary school, like a rudderless ship. Many argue that the first two years of a baby's learning are crucial. About 75% of brain development occurs between birth and the age of two.

The ULP, for political reasons, has been trying to re-invent education. They are starting at the top of the school system and working their way down. They have introduced their own version of universal secondary education, before paying attention to pre-school and primary education. It is like trying to build a roof for a house before you build the foundations and walls – it is destined to collapse.

The sample principle of building a secure house should be applied to the education given to the children of SVG, where the early years development is used as the main foundation for long-term sustainable development of our nation. Without a solid and secure foundation a person’s ability to learn and their level of achievement is severely hampered.

Without a proper and sensible approach to education development in SVG, we will be significantly restricted owing to the shortages of highly skilled labour. The ULP regime is skimping on investment in early years education for children, but happy to invest in a prison so young people gain an education based on crime.

The pattern for progress leading to a more affluent society can be seen in more developed countries. In 2003 in England, 88% of all three years olds were receiving some level of free early years’ education. Almost all 4-year-olds in Luxembourg and the Netherlands go to public school. So do more than 70% of Greek children of preschool age, more than 80% of Spanish children and more than 90% of those in Germany, Denmark and Italy. Virtually every industrialized country provides free, high-quality preschool for children regardless of family income.

Let’s looks at some of the nations Vincentians compete against in the global job opportunities market. In England in 2004, about 42.5% of school leavers went to university. It was estimated that graduates in England earned £400,000 (EC$ 1,084,000) more in their lifetime than people who cannot go to university. In Canada graduates earn 91% more than people who do not go to university. In 2002 in the USA, about 64% of school leavers went to university. We are being left behind in the global academic race, because of the strategies employed by the ULP government.

Are the children of SVG really going anywhere when ULP government policies are based on outdated thinking?