Inverting priorities

Purpose – The purpose of this editorial is to argue that investments in early childhood intervention will bring greater than market returns to society and that there should be a resource reallocation in education from post-secondary. It also aims to argue that these returns need to reconsider education as an investment to be weighed against conventional investments, particularly by the public sector in both developed and developing economies. Design/methodology/approach – The editorial is a review of current literature and thought. Findings – The public sector needs to rethink its resource allocations for development. The public needs to understand the impact of investing in early childhood to see the benefits and returns in near-term as opposed to an unspecified future return. Originality/value – This editorial challenges conventional wisdom and suggests the need to develop alternative paths for public sector thinking about economic policy and programs.