States must bridge the early childhood education gap
Various studies globally and India’s National Education Policy reiterate that close to 85% of a child’s brain development happens during age zero to six.
India aims to join the league of developed nations. All efforts in the country are in this direction, but a key piece of the puzzle that might have been overlooked in the frenzy to achieve this goal is the next generation.
Various studies globally and India’s National Education Policy (NEP) reiterate that close to 85% of a child’s brain development happens during age zero to six. Experts have argued that two factors primarily influence a child’s intellectual quotient (IQ) level — adequate nutrition during this crucial phase and appropriate mental stimulation that sparks curiosity. Numerous studies have shown that while foundational learning is important, early childhood education (ECE) is critical for a bright future. Past studies have shown that India’s children start the race with a distinct disadvantage — an IQ of 87 against the global average of 97.
Evidence from a Gates Foundation-funded study (Koshy et al., 2024) reveals the significant impact of structured ECE on cognitive development. Tracking 251 children (in 2010) from urban Vellore over nine years, researchers found that those who received 18-24 months of structured, high-quality ECE had significantly higher IQ at ages five and nine compared to a control. In the case of the five-year-olds, the IQ of those receiving a structured ECE went up to 84 versus 79 for those who did not receive it. For the nine-year-olds, it rose to 93 versus 86 for those denied structured ECE. These results are in consonance with the global evidence on the transformative potential of ECE and provide a compelling case for such programmes.
Of the 150 million kids in this age group, almost 100 million or 60% are connected with government-run anganwadis and, as a result, form a captive group. For many decades, these child-care centres — launched in 1975 — have been treated as dalia-and-khichdi centres, where the children get at least one nutritious meal a day, free of cost. But virtually nothing has been done to stimulate their mind or build intellectual curiosity in the attendees over these past five decades. Across many states, the centres lack many basic facilities like toilets, regular water supply, and water filters, as a recent study in Karnataka revealed.
By 2030, 35% of Indian children under the age of five will be stunted (short for their age) — more than twice the target set for 2030 under the Sustainable Development Goals. Stunting is a proxy for overall physical and cognitive underdevelopment, and stunted children go on to be less healthy, less productive, and earn less than their counterparts. Aware of this, certain state governments in India have tried to improve children’s nutritional intake through the anganwadi system. What has been largely missing is structured intellectual stimulation that can be offered to the children through the anganwadi workers and non-transferable members of the community who are deeply vested in the system.
Of late, however, the realisation that fuel for the mind is as critical as that for the stomach has dawned on the authorities; many steps have been taken to rectify this. In 2023, a new campaign, Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi, was launched by the Union women and child development ministry — a baby step towards filling this gap. Two new curricula have also been introduced — Adharshila and Navchetna — which provide some guidance and material for the anganwadi workers. Co-founder of the NGO Rocket Learning, Azeez Gupta, says that this gap can be effectively bridged with the help of anganwadi workers, who are compelling characters, lacking in training but more amenable than the typical government-school teacher. His team is currently working across 10 Indian states in 2 lakh centres to support the ministry in operationalising Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi.
Besides hand-holding the anganwadi worker, three other steps are critical for this mission to succeed. One, there needs to be a reallocation of the education budget to reflect the relevance of ECE. Although the budget has tripled over the last few years, it remains a meagre 3% of the overall education budget — well below global peers. This needs to be increased to at least 10% of the total. Today, we spend nearly 10 times the amount of money on a six-year-old’s education compared to a five-year-old’s despite all findings indicating that the first few years are crucial. The funding could be used for additional staffing, infrastructure, uniforms, and teaching/learning material at existing anganwadis and to expand the Integrated Child Development Services scheme in urban areas where there is a huge need for this but poor penetration.
A major rebranding exercise is required to make these centres aspirational, welcoming, and attractive spaces. With the internet and social media penetrating the rural landscape, people’s expectations have soared. The only ones singing praises and extolling virtues of the existing centres are those not vested in it. I have visited anganwadis and government schools in over 15 states during my career and can say this with some degree of authority: To attract parents, these centres urgently need to up the ante. With the advent of private play schools in smaller cities and towns and with rising awareness about the options available, parents no longer want to limit their choices to the free government-run anganwadis. They don’t mind paying a bit extra to improve their ward’s future prospects.
One area where the rich-poor divide is most visible in India today is in parenting styles. While the rich have fallen prey to helicopter parenting, a large proportion of parents at the bottom of the pyramid are too preoccupied with making ends meet to focus on the intellectual development of their children. An awareness campaign - on the lines of a Swaach Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) — is required for states and parents to appreciate why they need to be more vested in their child’s intellectual development in their early years. Just like with SBA, a spirit of competitiveness needs to be instilled among the states so that they focus on this aspect. Punjab has taken the lead through a pilot project, “Project Aarambh”, with the aim of providing equal access to quality early childhood education to all. Maharashtra and Haryana, too, have stolen a march over others. More states need to follow.
Anjuli Bhargava writes on governance, infrastructure and the social sector. The views expressed are personal.
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