The Perry Preschool Project is the most renowned longitudinal study ever done to answer the question as to whether access to high-quality education would have a positive impact on preschool children and their communities. It was conducted between 1962–1967 on 123 preschool children. The most valuable results of the study were noticed later in the lives of these children when they were compared to a comparison group who had not receive the preschool education that they had.  

The results were phenomenal and had a profound impact on early childhood programmes throughout the United States. At age 5, 67% had an IQ greater than 90 as opposed to 28% of the comparison group. By the age of 40, the participants in the study had experienced fewer teenage pregnancies, were more likely to have graduated from high school, were more likely to hold a job and have higher earnings, committed fewer crimes and owned their own home or car.  It was proven beyond doubt that the high-quality active learning approach of the programme delivered lasting results and was a relatively small investment that yielded a 12-fold return.   

While this study was done in the United States, it has universal application. Like most of the South African population, the children in the study were from a socioeconomically disadvantaged community. It is important to note that the study did not prove that fancy buildings or an abundance of teaching resources made the difference; it was simply a developmentally appropriate high-quality active teaching approach. This is something we in South Africa can do and many of our ACSI ECD centres are doing.  

At ACSI we know that Christian educators in the South African ECD sector understand the vital importance of laying a solid foundation for the future success of our children, and we value the work that you are doing in an often little understood and poorly funded area of education. We are fully aware of the obstacles many of you face and we know that much work needs to be done in curriculum and programme development as well as teacher training.  To this aim, we are collaborating with Christian ECD leaders to provide training opportunities that will facilitate the development of high-quality ECD programmes in our communities.  Our vision is to support you as you serve the Lord in this foundational and very significant period in the development of a young life.