Over the past few decades, preschool enrollment has grown significantly worldwide: from 29% in 1990 to 49% in 2015. While it is crucial for governments to expand access to early childhood education programs, it is equally important to focus on improving their quality. In fact, if these programs are not good enough to foster children’s development, their impact can be limited—or even fall short compared to care provided at home.
This is why, together with colleagues Alison Andrew (Oxford), Orazio Attanasio (Yale), Lina Cardona Sosa (World Bank), and Sonya Krutikova (University of Manchester), we recently published a study evaluating two strategies implemented in Colombia to strengthen public preschools and their impact on child development. In this blog post, we summarize the key findings and lessons that can help guide effective early childhood education policy.
Preschool Resources: Does More Always Mean Better?
The study was carried out in partnership with the Colombian government in the country’s eight largest cities: Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, Barranquilla, Bello, Palmira, Itagüí, and Soledad. It evaluated two interventions:
The first, designed and implemented by the national government, involved providing additional funding primarily to hire classroom assistants. The second intervention built on the first by adding a low-cost teacher training component.
The results were revealing: while the first intervention had no impact on child development, the second led to significant improvements in children’s cognitive skills—especially among those in more vulnerable situations.
The difference did not lie in the amount of money invested, but in how teachers responded to the changes. With new assistants in the classroom but no clear guidance on their roles, many teachers reduced their direct involvement in educational activities, delegating tasks to assistants who had little or no training. In contrast, when teachers received targeted training, they were able to better organize teamwork, delegate administrative and support tasks, and focus on improving the quality of care and learning.
The Key: Teacher Training and Equity in Child Development
The study reinforces the idea that teacher training and support are essential for improving preschool education quality. Some key takeaways include:
- Increasing resources does not automatically lead to better outcomes. What matters is how those resources are used.
- Well-designed training programs—with a strong practical component and long-term sustainability—can be highly effective.
- Improving the quality of early childhood and preschool education especially benefits the most vulnerable children, helping to reduce inequality from an early age.
- A better understanding of child development and improved classroom time management make a real difference in learning outcomes.
Rethinking Investment in Early Childhood Education
The findings from this study have implications beyond Colombia. In many countries, efforts to improve early education have focused primarily on increasing spending. But this research shows that what truly matters is not just how much is invested—but how it is invested.
An effective strategy must combine funding with training and ongoing support for educational teams. Only then can teachers fully leverage additional resources. This combination can lead to meaningful improvements in service quality and child development outcomes—especially for those who need it most.
Ultimately, improving preschool education is not just about investing more—it is about investing better. You can learn more about the study at the following link.
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