Column: Early Child Education – Why It’s Profitable for the State

After lunch, I was sitting by the window with a cup of coffee on a winter afternoon. Suddenly, I saw a young mother on the street, with a shopping bag in one hand and her small child’s hand in the other. There was a silent fatigue in the mother’s eyes, and curiosity in the child’s. At that moment I wondered, why do some events in people’s lives happen so quietly? Yet their impact runs deep. As we grow up, we talk extensively about development, state policies, economics, and our country, but where does it all really begin? These thoughts led me to Early Child Education – to the very beginning of a person’s life.

1. Why the first five years of life are the state’s most crucial investment –
Nearly 90% of brain development in children happens by the age of five. If children receive quality education during this period, they can become better students and capable citizens in the future. That is why Early Child Education is called “High Return Investment.”

2. Early Child Education and the national economy: a silent but powerful connection –
Children who receive quality early education tend to achieve higher education and make significant professional contributions as adults, becoming model citizens. In other words, today’s small investment saves much larger future costs. That’s why developed countries such as Finland, Japan, and Norway view Early Child Education as a national investment.

3. Myth and Reality: Common misconceptions about Early Child Education –
Early Child Education is thought to be a luxury and not essential for the country; play is enough for small children, there is no need for formal education, investment in this sector is risky because results are seen later, and that families alone are sufficient for a child.

4. Early Child Education and the economic return on investment –
According to research by economist James Heckman, every one dollar spent in ECE generates $7–10 in socioeconomic benefits later on. These benefits come in the form of higher incomes and tax revenues, reduced unemployment, and decreased criminal and health costs. (Reference: Heckman, J.J (2010) Journal Of Public Economics).

Early Child Education is backed by science, proven by economics, and is an essential investment for the state. If a nation truly desires good citizens in the future, it must invest at the very beginning of a child’s life. A strong nation is built on a solid foundation — and that foundation is called Early Child Education.

Ms. Hasna Banu
Islamic University, Kushtia
Department of Political Science & Public Administration
Writer interested in education, public policy, and human development