Delhi govt preschools outshine pvt peers in overall quality

NEW DELHI: In contrast to popular belief, preschools in Delhi run by the government have outperformed their private counterparts in most of the six components including physical infrastructure, WASH practices, child-friendly environment, curriculum implementation, classroom process and safety, according to a study by Jamia Millia Islamia.

When all six parameters were combined, the government preschools performed best overall, with more than half rated “good”. The private preschools followed closely, while Anganwadis mostly remained in the “average” category, with one rated “poor”, the 2025 study said.

Researchers from Jamia’s Department of Education studied 45 preschools across the capital, 15 each from the government, private and Anganwadi setups in 2023.

The findings of the study, named ‘A quantitative study on quality of physical infrastructure, WASH practices, preschool education and safety in Anganwadi centers, government preschools and private preschools in Delhi’, were published in Discover Education (2025).According to the study, preschools were assessed on six components -- physical infrastructure; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices; child-friendly environment, curriculum implementation, classroom process and safety.

The researchers used the Anganwadi Assessment Scale, a standard tool for evaluating early childhood programmes, and the scores obtained were subsequently split into three categories -- “poor”, “average” and “good”.

As far as physical infrastructure is concerned, the study found that 13 of the 15 government preschools had “good” infrastructure, compared to eight private schools and four Anganwadi centres. Ten Anganwadis were rated “average” and one “poor”.

The paper attributed this gap largely to the fact that most Anganwadis function from rented or standalone buildings with limited indoor and outdoor space, ventilation and facilities. The government preschools, often attached to Sarvodaya schools, shared better infrastructure and resources, it read. When it came to WASH, none of the government preschools achieved a “good” score. All 15 were rated “average”, the study highlighted.

Most preschools scored “average” in hygiene, child-friendly environment, and curriculum. Government schools led in classroom processes and safety, while Anganwadis lagged. Targeted improvements, private school regulation, and better monitoring are recommended to boost early learning quality.