Quantity,not Quality

I've seen some conversation about the value, or lack of value, of preschool. I can think of some small justifications, if not actual benefits.

- The theory that the more you throw at the wall, the more likely something will stick. If the current length of schooling isn't getting it done, maybe adding more will help at least a few kids. The reports I've seen seem to indicate that this is dubious at best, and it may not justify the extra cost, but it is at least somewhat logical.

- Think of it as publicly-funded daycare. This may sound cynical, but any parent can tell you it's far from a trivial consideration. The chief source of objection to the recent change to a four-day school week at Stanley County was the increased need for daycare. We may want to think that preschool will take way parent/child interaction time, but for most people it will just put the kids with a different (for better or worse) babysitter.