Participation Trends in ECE Programs: Who Goes Where and Why?

Abstract

There is strong evidence that high-quality early childhood education (ECE) is beneficial for development, but this is contingent on certain forms of provision and participation. We know far less about what families who are often far removed from such discussions value. In this chapter, we use data from the India Early Childhood Education Impact (IECEI) study to explore both (quantitatively) patterns in children’s participation in ECE and (qualitatively) parental perceptions that underlie these. We examine three main aspects: (1) deciding whether young children should participate in ECE; (2) deciding which ECE center they should attend; and (3) deciding when they should transition into ECE and then on to primary school. Our findings show that although most of the children participated in preprimary education, parents’ views on what constitutes good ECE are far removed from policy guidelines.