Early childhood education and care: effects after half a century and their mechanisms

Abstract

The effects of early childhood education and care (ECEC) have been widely researched, but most studies focus on targeted or relatively short-term programmes. This paper investigates the long-term effects of a universal ECEC programme and underlying mechanisms. By exploiting differences in expansion rates of childcare institutions across Japan from the 1960s to the 1980s, I find a positive effect of ECEC on income at up to age 50. The overall effect is driven by a significant impact among women, who were disadvantaged at that time, while there are no adverse effects on others. Mediation analysis shows that an increase in wages leads to an increase in income, which is triggered by improved educational attainment and not an increase in labour supply. The results imply that a universal childcare system has the potential to reduce income inequality.

Quality Education for All: A Fuzzy Set Analysis of Sustainable Development Goal Compliance

“…The evidence found is in line with the literature, showing that investing in EE quality and ensuring the successful completion of SE are crucial steps to achieving SDG 4 worldwide [8]. Considering that children who are well educated from a young age become informed and active citizens, more likely to participate in sustainability initiatives and contribute to the development of their communities and that students who complete lower primary education are more likely to be involved in civic and economic activities, strengthening the foundations for sustainable societies [38,39], then investing in EE and ensuring the successful completion of SE not only benefits individual children but also contributes to a more sustainable and equitable future for all humanity [5,10,11,[17][18][19].…”

“…For all the world regions, EE emerges as a sufficient condition for achieving of SDG 4, meaning that this factor contributes to a more solid educational base. This result is aligned with several studies (see, for example, [38,39]), which highlight the long-term benefits of EE for children's development and in terms of impacts on income, contributing to the formation of informed and active citizens, who are more likely to get involved in sustainability initiatives and contribute to the development of their communities. In short, investing in EE benefits individual children and strengthens the foundations for sustainable and informed societies, making it a crucial approach to achieving SDG 4.…”

“…Several studies (see, for example, [38,39] show that countries with high rates of participation in EE and completion of lower primary education generally have better indicators of human and economic development. The evidence found is in line with the literature, showing that investing in EE quality and ensuring the successful completion of SE are crucial steps to achieving SDG 4 worldwide [8].…”

Quality Education for All: A Fuzzy Set Analysis of Sustainable Development Goal Compliance

“…Several studies (see, for example, [33,34]) show that countries with high rates of participation in EE and completion of lower primary education generally have better indicators of human and economic development. The evidence found is in line with the literature, showing that investing in EE quality and ensuring the successful completion of SE are crucial steps to achieving SDG 4 worldwide [7].…”

“…The evidence found is in line with the literature, showing that investing in EE quality and ensuring the successful completion of SE are crucial steps to achieving SDG 4 worldwide [7]. Considering that children who are well educated from a young age become informed and active citizens and are more likely to participate in sustainability initiatives and contribute to the development of their communities and that students who complete lower primary education are more likely to be involved in civic and economic activities, strengthening the foundations for sustainable societies [33,34], then investing in EE and ensuring the successful completion of SE not only benefits individual children but also contributes to a more sustainable and equitable future for all humanity [5,9,10,14,15].…”