Draft of ECCE policy gives primacy to early childhood learning

The Centre has batted for evolving a national policy aimed at promoting optimal development and active learning capacity of all children below the age of six years in the country.

The draft of the proposed Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy came up for discussion here at a gathering of eminent child experts, policy makers, senior government officials from Child Development and Education departments and representatives from non-government sector.

Addressing the gathering, Woman and Child Development minister Krishna Tirath said the major planks of the draft policy are universal access, equity and quality and strengthening capacity building.

She emphasised that the provisions of the policy will be governed by a strong quality framework.

The policy seeks to universalise the provisions of ECCE for all children mainly through Integrated Child Development Services, which has a network in all nooks and corners of the country.

Special plans will be developed for the most marginalised and vulnerable groups besides repositioning of anganwadi centre (AWC) as a vibrant child-friendly centre with adequate infrastructure, financial and human resources.

The recommendations of the day-long consultation included creation of a conducive environment for private sector involvement to achieve access, quality and equity, espousing an approach of convergence between policy, curriculum, training and other relevant standards and strengthening of institutional capacity building.

It also called for closely working with the Human Resource Development Ministry to address the specific problems of the disabled and linking of early childhood education with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.