IECEI Quality & Diversity Report
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is emerging as an area of high priority in most countries across the world. A growing body of research in the field recognizes the range of social and economic benefits from it such asbetter child well-being and learning outcomes as a foundation for lifelong learning, more equitable outcomes and reduction of poverty, and increased intergenerational social mobility. But these positive benefits are directly related to the “quality” of Early Childhood Education. The current report is based on a comprehensive survey of the quality of Early Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is emerging as an area of high priority in most countries across the world. A growing body of research in the field recognizes the range of social and economic benefits from it such as better child well-being and learning outcomes as a foundation for lifelong learning, more equitable outcomes and reduction of poverty, and increased intergenerational social mobility. But these positive benefits are directly related to the “quality” of Early Childhood Education. The current report is based on a comprehensive survey of the quality of Early experiences of children on their levels of school readiness at age 5, and subsequently on their cognitive and socio emotional levels, through the next three years. The depiction of the design of the larger study is annexed with this report (Annex 1). This report is limited to and based on data generated on quality of the ECE programmes during the pre-test phase of the larger longitudinal research.
The survey was undertaken in two istricts of each of the three states, covering a sample of 298 Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres. These centres were purposively selected on the basis of regular attendance rather than on the basis of enrolment of the children. This sample selection, thus, also indirectly reflects the emerging trends in parental choices and preferences. The sampled preschools or early childhood education programmes for 3 to 6 year olds are thus spread across public, private and voluntary sectors. The sample also includes some low-budget innovative programmes referred to as “known practices” in the report, which serve as a reference point for assessing not only “what is”, but “what is possible”, given economic constraints.For Full Report, VIEW PDF