Does Early Childhood Education and Care Provisions in India Provide Any Dividend to Children?
 

Background

One-fourth of the world’s preschool-aged children belongs to India and India has one of the world’s largest early childhood education and care provision, named the Integrated Child Development Scheme, in operation since 1975. 

 

Aim

Studies on the impact of existing early childhood education and care services on children's later development are scarce in India. ECE-India is trying to fill this gap.

 

Approach

Based on the primary data of 1,369 children from West Bengal, India, this study investigates if attending preschool associates with greater accumulation of cognitive and social skillsat a later stage.

 

Results

The study shows that children who attended preschool acquired greater social skills, but not necessarily greater cognitive skills as well. Also, the type of preschool attended was not a significant determinant of children’s skill development. It is, thus, essential to make the existing early childhood education and care provisions more effective, so that children from all tiers of society can have a wholesome rducational foundation.

 

Project profile

 

Publications

Ghosh, S. (2019). Does attending preschool benefit Indian children at a later stage? Blog. BLISS: ISS the Hague. 

 

Publications

2020

Ghosh, S. (2020). Does early childhood education and care provisions in India provide any dividend to children? (LIfBi Working Paper No. 90). Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories. https://doi.org/10.5157/LIfBi:WP90:1.0

2019

Ghosh, S. (2019). Inequalities in demand and access to early childhood education in India. International Journal of Early Childhood, 51(2), 145-161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-019-00241-8