Educational Policy, Parents, and Investment That Matters

Abstract

This concluding chapter entails a discussion of differences and similarities in the ways that changes in educational initiatives, geared toward the building of human and cultural capital and changes in parenting beliefs and practices, geared toward helping children negotiate the challenges these initiatives have created in schools, have played out in China, India, and the United States. Ultimately, this discussion makes a case for investment in human and cultural capital—specifically through investment in quality childcare and early education programs. At the same time, the effectiveness of education that derives from grand-scale standards, and that measure student achievement through standardized testing, is called into question. Recommendations are made for redirecting energies, efforts, and resources toward high-quality care and early educational programs. A case is moreover made for ensuring that the curriculum in these programs features a heavy emphasis on play and the creation of child-friendly classroom environments.