Economics of Early Childhood Education without Universal Benchmarks: A Case Study of Gampaha District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The study is conducted to identify the economics of early childhood education (ECE) without universal benchmarks (UB). An empirical study has been conducted in the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. If this study helps to understand the need for ECE and how to implement it in accordance with UB, only then will it be able to effectively contribute to the country's economic growth by making citizens more productive by molding them from childhood on. The objective of the research is to investigate the long-term economic consequences of providing ECE without UB and indicate to government parties the consequences faced due to the lack of UB in ECE. Data is collected through a survey questionnaire distributed to 384 laborers between the ages of 19 and 35. Snowball sampling, under the non-probability sampling method, is used to gather participants. The results showed that improper ECE affected the cognitive development, emotional and social behavior, physical and health development, and literacy and language skills of the individuals when they reached adulthood. There is a 0.664 significant correlation between cognitive development and ECE, whereas the results indicated the impact of ECE on cognitive development is 90%. As a result, national-level early childhood development policies must be developed with policy frameworks and strategies to fill service gaps, such as developing a culturally appropriate ECE program for the entire country. These need to be implemented by the government to standardize ECE and generate an economically productive labor force.