Universal preschool programs and long-term child outcomes: A systematic review

The study compares the results of 26 previous studies that investigated the long-term effect of universal kindergarten provision. The long-term effect of the kindergarten provision is measured from Year 3 of primary school, through adolescence and until the child has reached adulthood. The parameters for measuring the effect were: (1) health, well-being and behaviour, (2) test results and school results, (3) progression through primary and lower secondary education, (4) number of years in education and highest completed education, (5) employment and income, and (6) cost-benefit.

The results of the knowledge summary are heterogeneous (varying). Children from low-income homes/countries benefited from attending kindergarten, while children from high-income homes/countries were vulnerable to differences in quality between kindergartens. Gender did not influence the effect. The authors of the article point out that universal kindergarten provision can help reduce differences in a population and between countries, but only if the kindergarten provision is of such high quality that all children benefit, including children from high-income homes/countries.

The systematic overview of knowledge is a literature review of empirical studies on the topic. The studies had to be published after 1980 and be published in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German. The studies were from Europe, North and South America and Africa.

Dietrichson, J., Kristiansen, I. L. & Viinholt, B. A. (2020). "Universal preschool programs and long-term child outcomes: A systematic review". Journal of Economic Surveys, 34(5):1007–1043.