New research has shown one in five Australian children are starting school without the skills they need to learn properly in the classroom.

More specifically, they don’t have enough vocabulary to learn how to read, the platform for success across a myriad of subjects.

More disturbingly, The Leader has even heard of teachers who see young children, four or even five, who don’t even understand how a book “works”.

This is a blight on our community and is a major concern for the future, as the nation looks to these young generations as the future drivers of our economy.

Education is now right back in the spotlight and will be one of the battlegrounds for this year’s federal election.

Currently, both sides of politics have very different policies, given Labor has promised to fund the full six years of the Gonski funding reforms, while the Coalition has abandoned years five and six, when the majority of money flows.

Schools are already using Gonski funds to great effect in the classroom, with increased literacy assistance just one of many avenues schools now have the financial freedom to pursue.

But early childhood education can’t be forgotten in this mix. Those few years before children start school are so vital for building the skills they need. 

Funding commitments that ensure all three- and four-year-olds have the opportunity to attend preschool for at least 15 hours a week – wherever they live – would be a wonderful investment in our future.

Gonski funding for primary and high school students is a fantastic thing, but this new research shows us that if so many children are getting to school without the intellectual skills they need, then for many, any extra help that Gonski money can offer may be coming too late.

Parents and carers, too, must take responsibility for their children’s learning, well before they even get to preschool and primary school.

This is as simple as spending time with youngsters and talking to them, encouraging them to talk, and most importantly, reading to them.

From when they’re babies. A story a day – 10 or 15 minutes of your time that will make such a huge difference in their future.