ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION AS A CRITERION IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN POLAND

Investing in human capital, in knowledge and skills, impacts the economy's development - similarly as investing in new technology. A good and effective employee, who as an adult will be capable of adjusting his or her qualifications to changes in technology, should as a child have access to pre-school education. It should be emphasized that the period of early education is very rarely linked to human capital development. Research has shown that the childhood period is crucial to the subsequent development of intellectual potential and social skills. Preschools and schools, where children are taught social skills, determine – in a broad perspective – how a person's life chances will be utilized. Early care and education should, thus, be the main target of investments in the field of education and innovations. Poland has the lowest indicator of access to pre-school education (38.2% for children between 3-5 years of age). As it is necessary for more children to access pre-school education, alternative forms of pre-school education should be taken under consideration. The article outlines chosen forms of alternative pre-school education developing in Poland.