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

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

Young Lives qualitative research: round 1 – India

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.</p

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

Early childhood education trajectories and transitions: a study of the experiences and perspectives of parents and children in Andhra Pradesh, India

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

The impact of parental aspirations on private school enrolment: evidence from Andhra Pradesh, India

This paper presents an analysis of the role of parental aspirations in determining private school choice in Andhra Pradesh, using quantitative and qualitative data from the Young Lives cohort study over two rounds. Aspirations are measured using a range of indicators of what educational attainment level and future occupational status parents desire for their children. We find robustly, across all measures of aspirations and different empirical specifications, that parental aspirations have a significant positive impact on the probability that the child is enrolled in a private school. This finding is further supported by qualitative evidence that also suggests that higher parental aspirations for the future situation of their child will lead to higher investment in education because parents perceive education as key to future success. Thus, our findings suggest that parental aspirations are among the demand factors that may explain the recent dramatic increase in private school enrolment in Andhra Pradesh among the poorest groups. This is mainly because parents believe that private schools can provide a better future for their children, which motivates them to make the necessary investment.</p