Literacy and education are vital developmental indicators for a nation. With more than 200 million children, India has the world’s most extensive primary education system. While primary school enrolment has increased significantly, learning levels remain low. To strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy, the West Bengal government launched “Shishu Aloy” a model Integrated Child Development Services centre in 2015. But the shortage of trained anganwadi workers is the major drawback of this programme in rural villages of West Bengal.
The future of India is being shaped in the early stage of learning. Early childhood education has become a concern towards universal quality education, especially their crucial roles in a child’s brain development and access to elementary education. Many research studies have found good preschool education and early learning gives children a better future opportunity for higher achievement. It is necessary to provide an enriching environment for children for their growth and learning. This necessitates the provision of suitable facilities for children outside of their homes in the form of preschool education (Murlidharan and Kaul 1999). Researchers have found that children who spent time in preschool attained significantly higher scores in foundational reading and early numerical skills than those who attend local schools (Laosa and Ainsworth 2007).