https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2987-9368
ABSTRACT
The early stages of childhood are of utmost importance in terms of development and learning, thus making it crucial to invest in the provision of care and education during this period. An early childhood care and development facility is a crucial initial step in a child’s learning trajectory. It sets the foundation for their future learning experiences. However, the selection of a facility by parents is influenced by their perceptions and attitudes. This paper explores parental perceptions and decision-making processes when selecting an education facility for their child. We conducted interviews with 297 parents of children aged 3–6 years in Delhi and Greater Mumbai, India. The results indicate that parents’ perception of ‘good education’ differs considerably from the discourse prevalent in the academic domain. They tend to equate the quality of education solely with English-medium instruction. Furthermore, the study reveals that parents are generally unaware of the substantive content encompassed in preschool education, leading to its absence in their decision-making processes. The findings suggest that the lack of understanding of developmentally appropriate early childhood education among parents is a significant deterrent to ensuring the right kind of pre-school education, and hence efforts should be made to bridge this gap.
Acknowledgements
The author(s) would like to thank to anonymous reviewers for their valuable input on the paper. The study was conceptualised by the authors during their tenure with Child Rights and You (CRY), a prominent national non-governmental organisation (NGO) in India. The author(s) would like to thank Azim Premji University for providing a generous grant to conduct this study. The author(s) would like to thank the Education Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, for providing necessary approvals and permissions for the larger study. The author(s) would like to thank all the participants who voluntarily participated in the study.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
