educate our children. As increasing numbers of affluent parents enroll their children in pre-school programs that offer more than just the traditional "play and supervision," but also provide early instruction in basics like reading and math, the question arises as to whether these children are obtaining a competitive edge over the less-fortunate peers. While free pre-school, that is free pre-kindergarten, education is rare, many school districts have responded to the needs of working parents by establishing full-day kindergarten programs, while others have continued to maintain the older half-day system. Unfortunately, the newer system, particularly where it includes genuine introductory academic instruction, is expensive and therefore often unavailable in poorer areas. An excellent example of this situation is to be found in New York's Inner City schools. Here, a largely minority population must often face a shortage of qualified teachers, and a lack of funds, equipment, and supplies. New York uses...
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