Early Childhood Education and School Readiness in India: Quality and Diversity

Description

This volume makes a comprehensive assessment of the status and quality of early educational experiences at preschool and early primary grades in India. It raises a serious concern that despite high enrolment in preschools, children’s school readiness levels remain low at ages five and six, and raises a vital question---are Indian children getting a sound foundation for school and for later life? It addresses three important issues from the Indian perspective: children's school readiness at age five; families' readiness for school; and, most importantly, the readiness of schools for children. India is one of many countries across the global South facing an early learning crisis. High quality early childhood education may be key to improving these outcomes for children, yet little is known about early childhood education programs in India and their impact on children’s school readiness. This volume is based on a longitudinal, mixed methods research study which is perhaps the first of its kind in India. The study covers public provisions along with steadily expanding private pre-schools and schools in rural India and provides interesting narratives and insights into the multiple pathways children are adopting in these critical early years, particularly in the context of the expanding role of the private sector. Written in a lucid and narrative style, this volume is of interest to a diverse readership of researchers, educationists and early childhood education policy makers and practitioners in terms of both its design and findings. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxii Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Introduction: Positioning School Readiness and Early Childhood Education in the Indian Context (Venita Kaul)....Pages 3-18 Research in India on Early Childhood Education and School Readiness: Some Learnings (Venita Kaul)....Pages 19-32 Front Matter ....Pages 33-33 Till What Age Is “Age” Relevant? Examining the Effect of Age on Early Learning (Manjistha Banerji, Mansi Nanda)....Pages 35-62 Positioning Psycho-social Development Within the Construct of School Readiness: Challenges and Opportunities (Meenakshi Dogra, Aparajita Bhargarh Chaudhary)....Pages 63-81 Does Participation in Preschool Help Children’s Early Grade Learning? (Wilima Wadhwa, Suman Bhattacharjea, Manjistha Banerji)....Pages 83-106 Front Matter ....Pages 107-107 Where Do Young Children Go? Provisioning in Early Childhood Education (Purnima Ramanujan, Nayan Dave)....Pages 109-124 What Works for School Readiness? Understanding Quality in Preschool Education (Aparajita Bhargarh Chaudhary, Venita Kaul)....Pages 125-151 Language Literacy and Bilingualism in the Early Years (Sunita Singh)....Pages 153-171 Situating Teacher Beliefs (Sunita Singh, Aparajita Bhargarh Chaudhary)....Pages 173-194 Are Schools “Ready for Children”? Assumptions and Ground Realities (Suman Bhattacharjea)....Pages 195-213 Front Matter ....Pages 215-215 Participation Trends in ECE Programs: Who Goes Where and Why? (Benjamin Alcott, Suman Bhattacharjea, Purnima Ramanujan, Mansi Nanda)....Pages 217-233 As We Look Ahead (T. S. Saraswathi, Venita Kaul, Suman Bhattacharjea)....Pages 235-246 Back Matter ....Pages 247-250