Children who go to kindergarten are healthier, wealthier and less likely to go to jail

Children who go to kindergarten are healthier and less likely to commit crimes or end up on welfare payments those who don’t, according to a new study.

The research from PricewaterhouseCoopers found that for every $1 spent on kinder, there is a $2 benefit to the Australian economy.

Samantha Page, CEO of Early Childhood Australia, said she’s not surprised by the results.

“It confirms what we already knew, in terms of the lifelong benefits to children of a good quality early education,” she told 3AW’s Ross and John.

“Kindergarten allows children to learn how to get along with each other, how to regulate their emotions, and how to think for themselves.”

Approximately 90 per cent of Australian children go to four-year-old kinder, but Australia lags behind internationally in three-year-old kinder attendance rates.

“This is building that economic argument for extending it to two years before school instead of just one,” Ms Page said.

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