Parental Perspectives on Early English Language Education: A Quantitative Inquiry into Attitudes and Barriers in a Localised Context

This study examines parental attitudes towards early English language learning and acquisition during early childhood in a Serbian municipality lacking organised early English programmes. Adopting a quantitative research design, survey data collected from 111 parents were analysed via descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and regression analysis. The findings indicate that parents generally perceive the age range of four to six years as the ideal starting point and view early learning as advantageous for social development. However, a discrepancy between parental attitudes and actions was identified; parents exhibit a ‘passive interest’ due to a lack of institutional support and low self-confidence. The study suggests that local policies should be aligned with parental expectations and that institutional access should be expanded