Parental aspirations for early learning preparedness: evidence from Punjab on sustaining enrollment with engagement

• In Event: Parental engagement in early learning systems: findings from Pakistan, Tanzania, Liberia and Ethiopia

Proposal

Endorsed boldly under SDG 4.2, early learning systems have become a focus of research and implementation support at sub-national, national and global levels. In Pakistan, global goals are reinforced by ‘right to education’ laws since 2010 and provincial/federal laws which extend the boundaries of Article 25 A, stipulating compulsory and free education for all 5-16-year-olds. Consequently, early learning in Punjab, Sindh and Federal areas has become one of the priority areas in sector policies, laws, plans, standards and financing.

As a result of these reforms, longstanding parental preferences for enrolling children in school readiness programs prior to grade one, and the recently launched ECCE Policy, the School Education Department of the Punjab has helped to shift the notion of ECE as a “kids’ room” to better equipped “ECE rooms” in 10,000+ primary schools. Currently, 4 million children are estimated to be enrolled in ECE in public sector schools – approximately one in four of the children enrolled in primary schools. However, enrolment in an ECE class remains a poor indicator for development, with 30% of children dropping out as they transit to grade one (I-SAPs 2018).

While laws and governance mechanisms are important, ECE implementation at national or sub-national levels requires an intensive focus on building the capacity of the workforce, and on strengthening the engagement of caregivers and parents – vital for early stimulation, care, emotional and cognitive reinforcement. Recognizing the importance of parental engagement, it has been included as one of the six quality areas Punjab’s ECCE Policy (2017).

This paper investigates parental engagement with preschools and with the overall development of children enrolled in those schools. Quantitative data collected from 96 pre-schools, 672 children and 480 mothers/primary caregivers in the three districts (Rawalpindi, Toba Tek Singh and Bahawalpur) of the Punjab captures information on parental engagement and how this relates to child enrolment, child development, the early learning environment and levels of workforce preparation.

Initial findings indicate that there are wide age variations among children enrolled from 2-10+ years without matching workforce preparation. Parents’ awareness of child development was stronger in socio-emotional domains than for literacy and numeracy. Teachers engaged in ECE classes in government and non-state provision faced challenges of implementation in multi-age and overcrowded classrooms. These relate to (i) inadequate knowledge and skills of how to manage classrooms with such age/needs variation; and (ii) how to motivate and mobilise parental/caregiver engagement to offset some of these complex realities. The large drop out numbers in the early years (30%) also reflect weak interactions between children and their two main caregivers: parents and teachers.

These mixed trends in parental engagement at the household and school level can be seen in many other countries as captured by research focused on systems strengthening for early years (including in Uganda, Liberia, Ethiopia, Tanzania and India). The paper provides insights from the recent ELP research in Pakistan to discuss critical challenges for holistic ECCE implementation and draws on feedback on what works as relevant and innovative solutions for policy makers, planners and implementers.

Authors

• Baela Raza Jamil, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)

• Saba Saeed, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)

• Kate Anderson, Brookings Institution