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The present research study was undertaken to evaluate the Mother Tongue Based Early Learning and Parents+ (MTELP+) Programme which commenced in 2016 in the state of Odisha. The MTELP+ programme was implemented by Programme Management Unit (PMU), which was setup by Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha and funded by Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) for a period of three years. The project was implemented with an underlying objective to propagate and practice mother tongue based early learning to benefit young children belonging to tribal population in Odisha and subsequently, lay robust foundation for future knowledge acquisition and learning. This executive summary of the full report presents: (1) Background; (2) Status of Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Early Childhood Education (MLE) in India; (3) Involving Parents in Mother Tongue Based Early Learning; (4) The Present Study; (5) Methodology; (6) Sample of the Evaluation Study; (7) Major Findings; (8) Innovative Practices at Anganwadis; and (9) Recommendations. [This report was written by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. For the full report, see ED613721. Title should read "An Evaluation of Mother Tongue Based Early Learning and Parents+ (MTELP+) Programme. Executive Summary," to match full report.]

The Mother Tongue Based Early Learning and Parents+ Programme ran from 2016 to 2021 (having been extended due the COVID-19 pandemic) in the state of Odisha, India -- a partnership of the state government's Department of Women and Child Development, Mission Shakti and the Bernard van Leer Foundation. As described in this report, the programme scaled up a model of mother tongue-based multilingual early childhood education across 7,202 Anganwadi centres covering 10 tribal languages. The evaluation finds that it succeeded in building the skills of frontline workers and managers to engage communities and parents and ease the transitions of children from tribal backgrounds to the formal schooling system. Based on these positive findings, the state government is scaling up the programme to all the state's 70,000+ Anganwadis. [This report was written by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. For the executive summary, see ED613722.]

The 'Spotlight on the Many Voices of the Early Childhood Workforce' Solutions Summit was held on 11 December 2018 as an official side event of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) Partners' Forum in New Delhi, India. The aim of the Summit was to place a spotlight on and develop solutions for the diverse early childhood workforce and create a strong international community in support of the workforce. This report summarises the insights gained from the Summit and brings together the concrete solutions to real-world challenges facing the early childhood workforce that were co-created by the attendees.

"The demographics of families in poverty around the globe may be diverse, but parents' dreams for their children are similar everywhere: good health, a good education, economic stability, and a better future." This new report from the Bernard van Leer Foundation and Ascend at The Aspen Institute develops a "two generation" approach to reducing poverty and improving child development by improving services and supporting parents. The report encourages partnerships between children's organisations and those which provide services to adults.

This working paper is part of the Studies in Early Transitions series emerging from "Young Lives", a 15-year longitudinal study of childhood poverty in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. It explores recent trends for children growing up in Andhra Pradesh, one of India's most populous states, based on Young Lives survey data collected for a sample of 1950 young children born in 2001 plus in-depth qualitative research. The paper discusses how poverty levels and location are strongly predictive of whether children attend government or private pre-school. It highlights policy challenges stemming from weak governance of the pre-school sector, notably how the relatively-unregulated and rapidly-growing private sector offers to initiate children into formal learning, in English, from a much earlier age than normally considered to be developmentally appropriate. And it identifies how government provision could be improved and strengthened. "Young Lives" communities description is appended. (Contains 4 tables, 2 figures and 8 footnotes.) [An earlier version of this paper was published as Working Paper 52 in "Young Lives'" own Working Paper series.]

Part of the "Studies in Early Transitions" series, this Working Paper draws on interviews and observations carried out as part of "Young Lives", a 15-year longitudinal study of childhood poverty in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam based at the University of Oxford's Department of International Development. This paper focuses on the challenges of translating into practice the potential of quality early childhood care and education to transform young lives. These include building a positive equity agenda, setting clear policy objectives, raising quality standards, building the skills and motivation of teachers, and recognising where equity goals can be incompatible with a market-led private system. The paper asks which children do and do not have access to an early childhood programme, and explores children's and parents' views about the quality of what is on offer. A brief summary of data collection methods is appended. (Contains 2 boxes, 21 figures and 9 footnotes.)

Children face many important changes in the first eight years of life, including different learning centres, social groups, roles and expectations. Their ability to adapt to such a dynamic and evolving environment directly affects their sense of identity and status within their community over the short and long term. In particular, the key turning points in children's lives--such as "graduating" from kindergarten to primary school or going through a culturally specific rite of passage--provide challenges and opportunities for learning and growth on multiple levels. This paper provides a review of the major perspectives in research on early childhood transitions and reveals the predominant areas of focus in both academic and professional studies, as well as important neglected viewpoints and study populations. Beginning with a broad and inclusive definition of the topic, the authors provide an overview of early childhood transitions research, highlighting the underlying assumptions that informed the studies. They assess concepts in the developmental theory that preceded transitions research as well as in the logic that determines how transitions are structured. More recent approaches are examined, including systems theories and the role of children as active participants in transitions. Several examples in this review show how multidisciplinary collaboration and culturally sensitive interventions can result in better participation of both parents and children in crucial early childhood transitions. Citing the need to harmonise early childhood education and care programmes with local education practices, the authors stress the value of greater transparency in the creation of policy and programming for children, in order to identify potentially limiting assumptions. Broadening and diversifying perspectives on transitions can lead to more integrated and culturally relevant rights-based early childhood programmes worldwide. A glossary and a bibliography are included. (Contains 7 footnotes.)

"Can You Hear Me? The Right of Young Children to Participate in Decisions Affecting Them" emphasises that participation enhances children's self-esteem and confidence, promotes their overall capacities, produces better outcomes, strengthens understanding of and commitment to democratic processes and protects children more effectively. Participation provides the opportunity for developing a sense of autonomy, independence, heightened social competence and resilience. The benefits are therefore significant, and adults with both direct and indirect responsibility for children need to acquire a greater humility in recognising that they have a great deal to learn from children. But the case for listening to young children goes beyond the beneficial outcomes. It is also a matter of social injustice and human rights. All people, however young, are entitled to be participants in their own lives, to influence what happens to them, to be involved in creating their own environments, to exercise choices and to have their views respected and valued. (Contains 4 footnotes.)