Early Childhood Education Trajectories and Transitions: A study of the experiences and perspectives of parents and children in Andhra Pradesh, India. Young Lives Working Paper 52

This paper explores diverse pathways through early childhood in the context of Andhra Pradesh state, India. The particular focus is on experiences of pre-school and transitions to primary school. The paper is based on analysis of Young Lives survey data (n=1950) collected for a group of young children born at the beginning of the millennium, plus in-depth qualitative research with a small sub-sample (n=24). We start from the premise that children’s earliest educational experiences can have a crucial influence on their lifelong adjustments and achievements. Superficially, the evidence from Young Lives research is quite positive, suggesting equitable access to early childhood provision as well as high levels of primary school attendance. However, overall percentages are misleading and disguise major differences in early transition experiences. Many of these differences are shaped by the co-existence of a long established network of government anganwadis under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, alongside a rapidly growing (relatively unregulated) private sector at both pre-school and primary levels. Parental decision making around private versus government education has been fuelled by the possibility of improved life opportunities in a rapidly changing economy and the attractiveness of English medium teaching, even at the earliest stages (more commonly available in the private sector). The paper identifies four quite distinct trajectories related to availability and choice of pre-school and primary school. Parental aspirations for individual boys and girls combined with beliefs about relative quality of government and private schools seem to shape individual trajectories in ways that seem likely to reproduce or even reinforce inequities related to wealth, location, caste and gender. The consequence for children is in many cases having to cope with multiple transitions during their early years, which may entail changing schools in an effort to ‘up-grade’ in perceived quality (e.g. from a government to private school), or moving into distant hostels or with relatives in order to attend better schools or to access grades unavailable locally

Equity and quality? Challenges for early childhood and primary education in Ethiopia, India and Peru

Part of the "Studies in Early Transitions" series, this Working Paper draws on interviews and observations carried out as part of Young Lives, a 15-year longitudinal study of childhood poverty in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam based at the University of Oxford’s Department of International Development. This paper focuses on the challenges of translating into practice the potential of quality early childhood care and education to transform young lives. These include building a positive equity agenda, setting clear policy objectives, raising quality standards, building the skills and motivation of teachers, and recognising where equity goals can be incompatible with a market-led private system. The paper asks which children do and do not have access to an early childhood programme, and explores children’s and parents’ views about the quality of what is on offer

Increasing choice or inequality? Pathways through early education in Andhra Pradesh, India

This working paper is part of the Studies in Early Transitions series emerging from Young Lives, a 15-year longitudinal study of childhood poverty in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. It explores recent trends for children growing up in Andhra Pradesh, one of India’s most populous states, based on Young Lives survey data collected for a sample of 1950 young children born in 2001 plus in-depth qualitative research. The paper discusses how poverty levels and location are strongly predictive of whether children attend government or private pre-school. It highlights policy challenges stemming from weak governance of the pre-school sector, notably how the relatively-unregulated and rapidly-growing private sector offers to initiate children into formal learning, in English, from a much earlier age than normally considered to be developmentally appropriate. And it identifies how government provision could be improved and strengthened

From policy to implementation: an in-depth exploration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Andhra Pradesh

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) was rolled out across India in 2008. Following positive appraisals of NREGS based on quantitative data (e.g. Uppal 2009), the paper uses individual and group interview and household survey data from adults and children aged 15-16 to explore firstly whether these appraisals are confirmed by children’s accounts of its impact, and secondly whether the evidence from the three villages sub-sampled in the qualitative research suggest its success is sustainable (for example, instances of financial mismanagement, growing resentment among local landlords, etc.). One positive finding is that participation in NREGS is high and largely pro-poor. There are striking examples of individual benefits, intended and unintended, for example, female labourers who no longer accept a daily wage of Rs 40. There may also be significant environmental benefits, although these will not be evident for another three to four years. However, those who only work in the scheme because they are landless have not benefitted as much as expected. The main beneficiaries in the three villages have been individual farmers, often from higher castes, and to some extent administering officials. So while interview and survey data demonstrate beneficial effects, the systemic mismanagement described in the paper is having a corrosive effect on trust and social relationships. This unintended consequence threatens the sustainability of the scheme and its potential to reduce socio-economic inequalities and vulnerability across the life course

Environment in the lives of children and families: perspectives from India and the UK

How do environmental policies link to dynamic and relational family practices for children and parents? This Policy Press Short presents innovative cross-national research into how ‘environment’ is understood and negotiated within families, and how this plays out in everyday lives. Based on an ESRC study that involved creative, qualitative work with families in India and the UK who live in different contexts, this book illuminates how environmental practices are negotiated within families, and how they relate to values, identities and society. In doing so, it contributes to understanding of the ways in which families and childhood are constructed as sites for intervention in climate change debates. In an area that is increasingly of concern to governments, NGOs and the general public, this timely research is crucial for developing effective responses to climate change

Young Lives qualitative research: round 1 – India: Young Lives Technical Note 21

This report presents an initial analysis of some of the qualitative data collected in four of the 20 Young Lives sites in Andhra Pradesh during October to November 2007 (‘Qual-1’). The sub-sample was drawn from both cohorts of Young Lives children – the Younger Cohort (aged 6 to 7) and the Older Cohort (aged 12 to 13) – as well as their caregivers, teachers, health workers and community representatives. The sub-sample includes 48 children, 12 from each of the sites, with equal numbers of boys and girls from each cohort. Further key variables for sub-sampling included caste, parental presence, school enrolment, pre-school attendance and type of school attended. These criteria were used to select a core group of ‘case study’ children, in addition to another eight children per community who could replace these children if they subsequently dropped out; the latter were also included in group-based research activities.Three overriding questions guided the qualitative research: What are the key transitions in children’s lives, how are they experienced (particularly in relation to activities, relationships, identities and well-being) and what influences these experiences? How is children’s well-being understood and evaluated by children, caregivers and other stakeholders? How do policies, programmes and services shape children’s transitions and wellbeing? Research into these questions aimed to be sensitive to both differences between children (for example, age, gender, socio-economic status, and ethnic, linguistic and religious identity), and inter-generational differences (for example, in the perspectives of children and their caregivers). The qualitative research used a mix of methods to generate data on these themes, including individual interviews with children (both cohorts), caregivers and other key stakeholders – e.g., pre-school, primary and high school teachers, health workers and the village head (sarpanch) – and group interviews with adults in the community. Creative methods using drawing, mapping and neighbourhood walks with children were also introduced. Semi-structured observations of homes, schools and community settings provided the context for analysing and understanding the data.© Young Lives 2009

Combining Work and School: the Dynamics of Girls' Involvement in Agricultural Work in Andhra Pradesh, India

Child labour in India has long been the focus of research, policy concern and intervention. This paper presents an analysis of children's involvement in agricultural work, particularly cottonseed production, drawing on evidence gathered for Young Lives in 2007 and 2008. In parts of rural Andhra Pradesh, children have been working in cotton fields for two or three months of the year. Evidence showed marked gender and age differentiation. In the early stages of cotton production in the mid- 1990s, there was reportedly a cultural as well as an economic basis for children's work in cottonseed pollination, when it was believed that pre-pubescent girls were preferred, as they were considered 'pure'. This has shifted, and children appear to work in cotton pollination for economic reasons, as well as practical ideas that they are better suited to the work because of their physical height and dexterity. The paper focuses on accounts from two girls involved in such work. They highlighted the importance of work in their everyday lives and its consequences for their schooling. Their situation had changed markedly when the study teams visited the site one year later, and the paper explores some of the reasons for the changes.</p

Chronic poverty amid growth

There has been growing interest in researching the dynamics of poverty, including poverty mobility. Looking at change over time and what caused this change can provide useful information for policymakers and those who seek to influence them. Young Lives is a longitudinal study of child poverty and provides ample scope to dwell on this area, making use of the three rounds of survey data and of qualitative data from sub-sample children. The focus in this paper is tribal households not conforming to the general trend of upward mobility. It locates these households, analyses their characteristics, and identifies the factors that cause the downward mobility of certain households. The specific context, the nature of negotiations the households have with the welfare institutions, and the experiential dimension of everyday struggles are discussed, keeping in mind the perspective of those in chronic poverty. We argue that the choices that poor people make can be seen as resistance to being labelled and that, by making these choices, they are also upholding the notion of agency and self-esteem. The paper concludes by drawing attention to structural aspects that shape poverty trajectories, and the policy implications of these.</p

Selected topics in child well-being in India: a review of policies, programmes and services: Young Lives Technical Note 20

The purpose of this report is to present a general context for the Young Lives qualitative research being undertaken in Andhra Pradesh on the key themes of child well-being, childhood transitions and children’s experiences of services and programmes. Children’s well-being is understood in multi-dimensional terms and includes aspects relating to health, economic conditions, educational opportunities, and relationships with family members, peers and others. Other definitions of well-being have highlighted children’s freedom from risks such as trafficking, addiction and discrimination, and access to the basic things that one needs to live healthily, safely and happily (UNICEF 2007). The concept of ‘transitions’ points to critical life-course changes. In childhood, these may include changes related to schooling, work, residence and relationships, among many others. Managing transitions in contexts of poverty and inequality may be a challenge for children and their families. The report provides an overview of existing literature on a selection of topics relating to services for the welfare of children in India and in Andhra Pradesh in particular. It also explores some of the issues affecting children, including access to and quality of education; transitions, such as beginning school and the onset of puberty; the factors driving child labour as well as the impact it has and attempts to regulate it; nutrition; discrimination and social exclusion, especially in relation to gender and scheduled caste or tribe membership; and migration. Policies implemented to address these issues are also examined. Rather than a detailed policy analysis, this report provides a broad overview of some of the issues which are key to improving our understanding of child poverty in this context and for guiding possible research questions

Children's Responses to Risk in Agricultural Work in Andhra Pradesh, India

This paper discusses protection of children from hazards in agricultural work. International and national policies aim to protect children by eliminating all child labour. Previous literature on hazardous child labour tends to focus on single industries or crops, overlooking the variety of activities that children undertake in subsistence farming. We analyse survey and qualitative data from children, and present rates of work, injuries experienced, how children deal with risks, and perceived benefits of work. The most effective form of prevention may be to build on existing knowledge and experience, working with communities to develop strategies to make work safer.Copyright 2012 Taylor & Francis. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Development and Practice on 6 June 2012, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09614524.2012.672955 Published as: Morrow, Virginia and Uma Vennam (2012) “Children’s responses to risk in agricultural work in Andhra Pradesh, India”, Development in Practice 22 (4): 549-561. DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2012.672955 The article is reproduced in accordance with the self-archiving policies of Taylor & Francis