The Impact of Early Child Care and Development in Children: From the Lenses of Pre Primary Teachers in Eastern Bhutan

Abstract

This study was conducted to find out if there was any effect of the ECCD program in developing foundational skills in children prior to their enrollment in the formal education system. The study examined the perceptions of pre-primary teachers of 20 rural and urban schools having ECCD attendees with regard to the effectiveness of the ECCD program on children enrolled in pre-primary grades. The study adopted a mixed methods approach with a sample of pre-primary teachers (n=60) from different schools in the Trashi Yangtse district. The study revealed that ECCD attendees were found to be more competent in a range of school readiness skills and have strong foundations for formal education. The study also indicated that ECCD attendees have a high level of confidence and perform better in academic subjects.