Early childhood transitions research: A review of concepts, theory, and practice’ Working Paper 48

Chapter 1 begins by outlining developmental concepts which underpin transition themes, in particular those associated with the theories of Jean Piaget and other ‘stage’ theorists. Their ideas are highlighted early on because so much transitions research builds on or reacts to core developmental assumptions. Chapter 1 then introduces socio-cultural perspectives on early childhood transitions. These are distinguished by their focus on how children learn by interacting with their immediate socio-cultural environments (e.g., caregivers, peers). This emphasis has been elaborated by several disciplines within the social sciences and is increasingly mirrored in early child development programmes around the world. Chapter 2 examines the different ways in which transitions are structured, drawing attention to varying logics that can be employed to mark transitions in early childhood. Institutional settings often use biological age as the criterion for readiness. By contrast, sociocultural transitions are often marked through rites of passage, following the cultural and economic reasoning of a given community. Also, around the world children engage in horizontal transitions as they move between different domains of everyday life. Chapter 3 shifts to perspectives on transitions that are informed by systems theories. These are distinguished from socio-cultural approaches by their greater emphasis on the links between individuals, macro social processes and historical changes. These approaches highlight the linkages between children, their communities and global societies and draw attention to the importance of comprehensive programmes that enable children to engage critically with the demands of a changing environment. Chapter 4 focuses on children’s active roles in shaping their transition experiences, with particular attention to the significance of peer group relationships as a moderating influence on transitions. The section then explores research methods that may enable the implementation of children’s right to participation within research and programming in this area. The final chapter discusses the findings of this review, highlighting significant research strengths and gaps of the various approaches presented, followed by a glossary of key transitions concepts discussed in the paper

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

Educational pathways: young peruvians in the COVID-19 pandemic

Young people have suffered most from the economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. The the pandemic constituted a highly complex scenario in which emergency remote and virtual education emerged as a useful, though not perfect, tool. This paper presents findings from the second instalment of a telephone follow-up study conducted over two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021, with the Younger Cohort (19- and 20- year-olds) of the qualitative longitudinal Niños del Milenio (Young Lives) study in Peru. This study aims to highlight the changes and continuities in the educational challenges faced by young people in relation to the COVID-19 crisis. Based on their testimonies, the paper explores the obstacles to their access to education, but above all, factors that appear to be interfering with or jeopardising the continuation of their studies. It also examines the roles played by the state and families, as well as young people’s perception of the low quality of education, in their decisions on whether to continue in higher education. It shows how these young people clearly perceive the negative consequences of prolonged virtual education on their emotional well-being; the specific barriers that only young women perceive – related to traditional gender roles; and the changes in the educational aspirations of those who were not studying

Dreaming of a better life: child marriage through adolescent eyes

Putting an end to the practice of child marriage became an international commitment under Sustainable Development Goal 5 that focuses on empowering girls and women worldwide. Dreaming of a Better Life: Child Marriage Through Adolescent Eyes offers fresh insights and evidence to inform these efforts, based on fi ndings from research and intervention projects funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to investigate different aspects of child marriage. Spanning rural and urban settings across Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, Togo and Zambia, the chapters address themes such as adolescent girls’ agency and roles in marital decision-making, teenage motherhood, sexual and gender-based violence against children, and lessons learned from trying to infl uence policies and implement programmes to reduce child marriage. The short chapters, and mix of photo, visual, interview and traditional reporting formats, are designed to appeal to policymakers in their national contexts, as well as resonate with others committed to supporting and empowering marginalised children and young people everywhere

Trayectorias educativas: seguimiento de jóvenes peruanos en pandemia

A partir de un seguimiento cualitativo a la cohorte menor de Niños del Milenio durante dos años consecutivos (2020 y 2021), exploramos las barreras para el acceso y la continuidad educativa, el rol determinante del Estado y las familias, y la percepción de que la educación superior virtual impartida durante la pandemia ha sido de baja calidad. Sobre esa base, recomendamos dar una mayor celeridad al retorno a la presencialidad o semipresencialidad, y evaluar la situación actual de la educación superior virtual, entre otras medidas que servirán para planificar cómo atender a las y los jóvenes que –con mucho esfuerzo– continúan estudiando

Child work and labour in Ethiopia: literature review and policy implications

This chapter aims to provide a preliminary bibliographical resource, an initial critical review of the literature, new insights on child work and labour in Ethiopia, and suggestions for future lines of research. The first part considers the different disciplinary and methodological approaches used to study the issues; we suggest that the various disciplinary lenses through which child work and labour have been studied result in a fragmented rather than an integrated picture. Moreover, we argue that there is a dichotomy between quantitative approaches, many of which have focused on rural surveys and the linkages between child work and education, and qualitative approaches that have concentrated on urban areas and vulnerable children. The second part briefly reviews findings from quantitative research notably on the prevalence of child work and its distribution, children’s time use and their contribution to the household economy, the impacts of government rural development and food security programmes on child work, and the implications of work for children’s health and wellbeing. The third part considers key findings from qualitative research on the work that children do, in particular that of children at risk focusing on the main categories studied, and discusses the value and meaning of work and changing work norms. The fourth part considers the policy context, international and national legal frameworks, policies and action plans. The fifth part considers interventions within the country to address child labour. The final part draws overall conclusions and identifies research gaps

'Becoming somebody': youth transitions through education and migration in Peru

The past few decades have witnessed international pressure to get more children in the world educated, for longer. The view that school education is core to definitions of good childhoods and successful youth transitions is increasingly widespread, globally and locally. However, structural inequalities persist and migration for education has become an important individual, family and community response to overcome these gaps. This article explores the relationship between migration and educational aspirations among a group of young people participating in Young Lives, an international study of child poverty, in Peru. It draws on survey and qualitative data collected on a cohort of children being tracked by the study over a 15-year period, from the time they were 8 years old (2002) into early adulthood (2017). Young people and their parents connect migration with the process of ‘becoming somebody in life’ and with their high educational aspirations. This is linked to intergenerational dependencies and the roles that children play in mitigating family poverty. Their aspirations are generated against a country backdrop of economic and social inequalities, a recent history of political violence and resulting mass displacement, and established and diverse patterns of internal and international migration

'Becoming somebody': youth transitions through education and migration - evidence from Young Lives, Peru

This paper explores the relationship between migration and educational aspirations among young people growing up in contexts of poverty in Peru. It draws on a mixed survey and qualitative data set collected by Young Lives (YL), an international fifteen-year study of childhood poverty. The focus is on data generated with the older of two cohorts of YL children being studied in Peru. They were around eight years old when the study began in 2002 and were twelve years old at the last point of data collection in 2007. This paper provides evidence to suggest that young people and their caregivers connect migration with the process of ‘becoming somebody in life’ (ser algo o alguien en la vida). This entails making successful transitions to adulthood and out of poverty. Their educational aspirations and expectations are at the core of their view of their future; these are generated against a country backdrop of economic and social inequalities, a recent history of political violence and resulting mass displacement, and established and diverse patterns of internal and international migration

‘Becoming somebody’ : Youth transitions through education and migration – evidence from Young Lives, Peru

This paper explores the relationship between migration and educational aspirations among young people growing up in contexts of poverty in Peru. It draws on a mixed survey and qualitative data set collected by Young Lives (YL), an international fifteen-year study of childhood poverty. The focus is on data generated with the older of two cohorts of YL children being studied in Peru. They were around eight years old when the study began in 2002 and were twelve years old at the last point of data collection in 2007. This paper provides evidence to suggest that young people and their caregivers connect migration with the process of ‘becoming somebody in life’ (ser algo o alguien en la vida). This entails making successful transitions to adulthood and out of poverty. Their educational aspirations and expectations are at the core of their view of their future; these are generated against a country backdrop of economic and social inequalities, a recent history of political violence and resulting mass displacement, and established and diverse patterns of internal and international migration