JX presentation

GSAIS, Kyoto University

Ayame Ishida

The Impact of Early Childhood Education to Develop a Sustainable Society

The presentation about the impact of early childhood education in developing

sustainable society and some of the personal observations I have seen in working in the
educational field. In fact, education is an essential factor relating to poverty and inequalities. The
poverty cycle often starts young. Parental poverty or socio-economic status of the children
impact the children. The opportunity gap continues through the life cycle.This cycle often
continues over multigenerational. According to the UN, inequalities among countries are
decreasing, while inequalities within countries are increasing. Japan is one of those countries,
with an increasing child relative poverty rate. I believe that quality education adopted to
individual needs is essential in education.
To understand the beginning of the inequalities and poverty, it is essential to understand
how it starts. Many studies have shown that it actually starts in the prenatal stage, before the
birth often relating to lack of nutrition. There is a growing study that indicates early childhood is
an essential stage in development that impacts an individual in the long term. Early childhood
usually refers to age 0-8 in psychology. Many of the studies focus on age under 5 or 6 which is
usually an age before children start primary school. Babies and toddlers' brains grow
exponentially in size from 25% to 50% of adults in the first year. Then, 70% to 90% from age 2
to 6. It is also a stage in life when children’s physical, cognitive, socio-emotional and language
develops drastically.
According to Heckman(2012), early childhood development influences economic, health,
and social outcomes for individuals and society. From birth to age five, the brain is developed
drastically which builds the foundation for the cognitive and character skills necessary for
success in school, health career, and life. Early childhood education investment as a cost-
effective strategy for promoting economic growth. According to his study, 7% to 10% per year
return on investment based on increased school and career achievement.
WIth emphasis on early education, there is a move to invest more in early childhood
education, especially more moves investing towards before preschool. In the United State,
offered programmes depend by states. For example, in Washington state, where I live, there are
programmes such as early intervention, ECEAP, and head start.

Q and A
1. What do you think are the most important factors to think about in child education?
a. It is essential for parents and teachers to be aware of each individual childrens’
needs. For parents, it is important that they are aware that different kinds of
education are available. Knowing that there are choices, they can make the best
decision for each child's learning.
2. What are some qualities of Japanese children and how can we change it?
a. Japanese children are a cohesive group of children. However, they are often not
used to receiving attention. They are more used to the passive style of learning.
 In the current society, communication skills are highly demanded. Therefore, it is
essential for Japanese to include learning opportunities that include
communication skills such as providing presentation and/or discussing in groups.
3. What do you think about Japanese early childhood education?
a. Personally, I believe that society's demand has changed for skills and knowledge
with technical development. It used to be that people who are good at following
manuals were highly demanded. Since the development of technology, many of
those jobs are replaced by machines. While society is changing, education has
changed only in Japan. There is an urgent need for drastic change in the
curriculum to adopt societal change while keeping existing positive education.