More cash for top study of children

By STUART DYE

A ground-breaking study into influences on education will be extended to 16-year-olds, making it one of the most detailed studies of its kind.

The Competent Children study has traced the lives of 500 children from the age of five.

The latest chapter of the research was released yesterday, detailing children's abilities and skills at the age of 12.

As revealed by the Herald last month, it showed that those with good early childhood education were better readers and mathematicians than those who had been taught at a lower standard.

Children who went to the best preschools were averaging numeracy and literacy test scores 12 per cent higher than their contemporaries and the gap was continuing to grow, the research showed.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said an extra $545,000 would be ploughed into the study, by the Council for Educational Research, enabling researchers to track the youngsters until they were 16.

"The study provides us with a rare picture of the effects of high-quality early childhood education and of home and school experiences on a range of students' competencies," said Mr Mallard.

"While similar studies are occurring overseas in Britain, the United States and Sweden, this New Zealand research is nationally and internationally regarded as a flagship study."

The council's chief researcher, Dr Cathy Wylie, said the results were consistent even after discounting parental income and parental qualifications and education levels.

But she added that "all is not lost" if a child had not received top preschooling.

Children were very resilient and with support from adults could come through their problems.

GROWING STUDY

The extension of the research to 16-year-olds will provide information in five key areas:

Students' engagement in senior secondary school.

Achievement at senior secondary level.

Long-term impact of transitions across school levels.

Student experiences of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement.

Student development of, and basis for, post-school aspirations.