The Ministry of Women and Child Development has introduced a nationwide curriculum for early childhood care and education targeting children aged three-six, alongside a national framework for early childhood stimulation for those from birth to three years old. Recognising that 85% of brain development occurs before the age of six, the Ministry underscores the critical role of early childhood in development and aims to enhance India’s Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) landscape, according to an official statement.
Presently, the Ministry supports mothers and children under six through Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, as well as the Palna and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) Schemes under Mission Shakti.
The objective is to ensure comprehensive child care throughout the day in a secure environment, staffed by trained personnel, equipped with educational resources, nutritional support and activities for holistic child development. With 13.9 lakh Anganwadi centres nationwide serving over 8 crore children under six, the Ministry’s efforts are widespread, the statement mentioned.
The National Curriculum for ECCE 2024 aims to cater to children aged three-six, encompassing various domains of development outlined in the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage 2022 (NCF-FS). This includes physical/motor skills, cognitive abilities, language and literacy, socio-emotional development, cultural/aesthetic appreciation, and fostering positive habits, as per the statement.
The curriculum is structured to provide 36 weeks of active learning, eight weeks of reinforcement and four weeks of initiation, incorporating 5+1 days of play-based learning weekly, with three blocks of activities per day. It emphasises a mix of activities, encompassing in-centre and at-home, indoor and outdoor, child-led and educator-led approaches.
For children from birth to three years, the National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation 2024 aims to empower caregivers and Anganwadi Workers in providing holistic early stimulation. This involves responsive caregiving and early learning opportunities to optimise children’s physical and cognitive development.
Aligned with the Nurturing Care Framework, the framework emphasises principles such as serve and return interactions, the caregiver’s role in love, talk, and play, and positive guidance. It includes age-appropriate activities for each month, adaptable for both home and Anganwadi Centre settings and incorporates screening, inclusion, and referrals for children with disabilities, it added.
With inputs from ANI.