Centre to push Early Childhood Care and Education through Anganwadis
Recently, the central government will promote Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) through Anganwadi centers.
The central government is planning to push ECCE through 14 lakh Anganwadi centers under the slogan ‘Poshan Bhi, Padhi Bhi’.
Under this, a change will be brought in the form of Anganwadi centers. The change will focus on early learning for children under the age of 6 (especially children under the age of 3).
Significantly, learning at this stage has proved to be fundamental to the development of children. Early childhood is called the formative stage of the first six years of life. This stage has well defined sub-stages and age-appropriate requirements.
ECCE includes care, health, nutrition, play and early learning within a protective and enabling environment.
The government’s plans for ECCE are in line with the National Education Policy 2020. The policy gives priority to foundational literacy and numeracy.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development constituted a high-level task force under the chairmanship of Sanjay Kaul. It made the following recommendations in its report (2022):
- Mission-mode approach should be adopted for “Rebranding of Anganwadis”. This includes improving infrastructure, ECCE materials, sports equipment etc.
- Anganwadi workers should be designated as ‘Anganwadi teacher’ and helpers as ‘child care worker’.
- Crèche facility should be provided for children below 3 years of age.
- Schemes like MNREGA and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) can be availed for upgrading the Anganwadi system.
- A common curriculum will be developed in different models and the emphasis will be on imparting education to the children in their mother tongue.
Source – Indian Express
