“The main message from the latest childcare study is that to improve Australia’s education outcomes, governments should discourage long daycare for children under three,” FamilyVoice research officer Ros Phillips said today.
The Australian study’s findings echo those by childcare expert Dr Jay Belsky, who analysed a large US longitudinal study and found that children in daycare for more than 20 hours a week were later more at risk of serious behaviour problems. Long daycare children tended to be more aggressive and disruptive in the classroom, undermining their own educational progress and the progress of children around them.
“A preschool teacher told me that she could tell which of her charges had attended childcare centres – they were more bratty and uncooperative than other children,” Ros Phillips said.
“Australia’s productivity cannot increase while a significant number of its workers are below par on literacy and numeracy. We need to value stay-home mums who care for their own babies and toddlers.
“Will our Prime Minister rethink his paid parental leave policy – which pushes mums with children under three to return to paid work in order to access generous handouts?”
Mrs Roslyn Phillips, BSc DipEd National Research Officer FamilyVoice Australia: a Christian voice for family, faith and freedom Website: www.fava.org.au
