Long-term associations between early childhood education and academic achievement in two low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Using data from India and Peru, this study examined whether children who attended early childhood education (ECE) showed higher math and vocabulary achievement from childhood to adolescence compared to children who did not attend ECE. It also assessed whether the strength of these associations differed among children who attended public or private ECE. A sample of 4063 children from economically disadvantaged communities in India and Peru was examined. Results of multilevel models that accounted for potential family and community confounding characteristics showed that participating in ECE was associated to better achievement through age 15. Additionally, positive links between private ECE and achievement were stronger than those observed for public ECE. These results were robust to the inclusion of propensity weights in the analyses to adjust for selection bias. Findings suggest that ECE expansion across the globe may be a promising avenue to improve learning among children in low- and middle-income countries but focusing on monitoring and improving quality is necessary.