A child's education should begin at least 100 years before he was born.

One's education naturally begins at the cradle. But it may perfectly well begin at a later time too. Be born poor... or be born rich... it really doesn't matter. Art is only amplified by such diversity.

The next great frontier of our commitment to reform should be early childhood education. The politics are complicated, but the goal is simple. Every child should start school ready to learn. Science tells us that the roots of academic difficulty are established well before the first day of school. In the absence of intervention, children from low-income families score consistently lower on developmental tests by age 2, and the differences increase over time. Children who fall far behind before they enter school have a far more difficult time catching up -- but well-designed programs can enhance their learning in the preschool years. And yet, after nearly 35 years of investment in Head Start, only three out of every five eligible children are enrolled. Early Head Start is the only federal program serving infants and toddlers who are living in poverty -- yet it reaches less than five percent -- five percent -- of eligible children. I welcome Mrs. Bush's strong interest and dedication to this issue. She will testify next week before our Education Committee in the Senate. I believe that she and the President can and will join us in working together to develop an effective strategy to promote learning in the earliest years of life. Like elementary and secondary education, building an effective early education system for the nation will take time, commitment, and resources. Therefore, I propose that we set a bold yet realistic goal. Over the next five years, we should develop the capacity to assure that every child has access to quality early education, starting at birth.

The proper time to influence the character of a child is about a hundred years before he is born.

Every stage of education begins with childhood. That is why the most educated person on earth so much resembles a child.

We should always remember that the education of the child really begins from its very birth, and is best given by the parents themselves. The use of threats and punishments, and the practice of gorging the children with food, are an outrage on the principles of true education. ... The example and practice of the parents necessarily shape the conduct and character of the children.... The very first duty of a man is to give such education to his children as will make them honest and truthful, and an ornament to the society in which they live. ... It is the solemn duty of all virtuous parents to train their children in noble ways. (Part II, Chapter IX, Care of the Child)

Education starts from teaching our young ones these values from an early age.

I think it starts first of all for from where we create access to education, and the curriculum that we put in place for it. And we talk about the scientific basis that we find we must have in early childcare. I think early childcare is not in a classroom, but very much in Africa today, it needs to start with adult literacy and mothers because as African women, and in our cultures – our children are with us until they’re three, attached at the hip, if you would.

It is hardly surprising that children should enthusiastically start their education at an early age with the Absolute Knowledge of computer science; while they are unable to read, for reading demands making judgments at every line.... Conversation is almost dead, and soon so too will be those who knew how to speak.

Je condamne l'ignorance qui règne en ce moment dans les démocraties aussi bien que dans les régimes totalitaires. Cette ignorance est si forte, souvent si totale, qu'on la dirait voulue par le système, sinon par le régime. J'ai souvent réfléchi à ce que pourrait être l'éducation de l'enfant. Je pense qu'il faudrait des études de base, très simples, où l'enfant apprendrait qu'il existe au sein de l'univers, sur une planète dont il devra plus tard ménager les ressources, qu'il dépend de l'air, de l'eau, de tous les êtres vivants, et que la moindre erreur ou la moindre violence risque de tout détruire. Il apprendrait que les hommes se sont entre-tués dans des guerres qui n'ont jamais fait que produire d'autres guerres, et que chaque pays arrange son histoire, mensongèrement, de façon à flatter son orgueil. On lui apprendrait assez du passé pour qu'il se sente relié aux hommes qui l'ont précédé, pour qu'il les admire là où ils méritent de l'être, sans s'en faire des idoles, non plus que du présent ou d'un hypothétique avenir. On essaierait de le familiariser à la fois avec les livres et les choses ; il saurait le nom des plantes, il connaîtrait les animaux sans se livrer aux hideuses vivisections imposées aux enfants et aux très jeunes adolescents sous prétexte de biologie ; il apprendrait à donner les premiers soins aux blessés ; son éducation sexuelle comprendrait la présence à un accouchement, son éducation mentale la vue des grands malades et des morts. On lui donnerait aussi les simples notions de morale sans laquelle la vie en société est impossible, instruction que les écoles élémentaires et moyennes n'osent plus donner dans ce pays. En matière de religion, on ne lui imposerait aucune pratique ou aucun dogme, mais on lui dirait quelque chose de toutes les grandes religions du monde, et surtout de celles du pays où il se trouve, pour éveiller en lui le respect et détruire d'avance certains odieux préjugés. On lui apprendrait à aimer le travail quand le travail est

I have worked with other members of Congress on bipartisan legislation to provide resources to states and localities to bring existing early learning programs together, and to begin a universal initiative in early education. Although the selection of specific service priorities is best left to states and communities, the federal government can provide greater incentives for the states to create more coherent systems, setting and implementing strategies to assure that young children -- all young children -- will be healthier, more secure, and ready to learn. We must narrow the gap between what we know and what we do, to give every young child in America the best possible start in life. We must see to it that millions of children are not left far behind even before they enter the first grade. In the next year, we must address this vastly important frontier of education reform -- the first five years of life.

The expansion of preschool and primary education networks, along with the goal of making education compulsory up to the 9th grade.

A child’s first teacher is its mother. Making sure that mothers are educated means we can lift more people out of poverty and build a more inclusive and sustainable society.

No child under the age of fifteen should receive instruction in subjects which may possibly be the vehicle of serious error, such as philosophy, religion, or any other branch of knowledge where it is necessary to take large views; because wrong notions imbibed early can seldom be rooted out, and of all the intellectual faculties, judgment is the last to arrive at maturity.