The trend to put very young children in long-day care is leaving us with a behavioural time bomb, writes Anne Manne September 03, 2005 From the Weekend Australian
LIKE the old force field of privacy around dark secrets of family life such as child abuse, a force field of ideology now protects and places beyond scrutiny an important new industry. Anyone challenging child care as an unquestioned and highly desirable part of modern life risks being considered on a continuum with the Taliban.
Once a cherished figure for the progressive side of politics, beloved for his depictions of vulnerability and the dehumanization of modern life, Michael Leunig's cartoon "Thoughts of a baby lying in child care" transformed him from a loved to a hated figure. All sorts of unpleasant discoveries about Leunig's character were instantly made; he was a misogynist with "his head up his arse", to quote the thoughtful contribution from Don Edgar, the former head of the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
When Australian researcher Kay Margetts reported her study, finding that more than 30 hours of care meant poorer adjustment to school, she was attacked on every media outlet; academic colleagues even suggested she be disciplined for publishing her results. It is enough to make any prudent person who desires a pleasant life keep silent.
1 comment:
According to this website about daycare, some of this exact same information about childcare was discussed by Australia's own Dr. Peter Cook in his 1996 book, Early Childcare: Infants and Nations at Risk.
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