Page 23 - EducationWorld March 2022

of Children to Free & Compulsory CBSE-affiliated RMK Senior Second- holds because they not only provide
Education (RTE) Act, 2009. In the ary School, Thiruverkadu, which has playway education but free mid-day
academic year 2021-22, pre-primary an enrolment of 1,700 children and meals. For infants imprisoned in
admissions plunged to a mere 2.5 90 teachers. cramped houses and suffering nutri-
lakh. This experience is not exceptional. tion anxiety, AWCs are a deliverance
As the process for pre-primary “Youngest children confined at home from boring daily routines especially
admissions for the academic year for almost two years are returning for first generation learners.
2022-23 began in February in most — in some cases starting — nursery “Children are back in AWCs
schools across Tamil Nadu, parents classes with great enthusiasm. Atten- with full attendance. There are very
of youngest children have responded dance till now is 80 percent and we few parents who are unwilling to
enthusiastically to normative in- are expecting all seats will be filled send their children back to school.
person (cf. online) classes. “In the in the next few days,” says D. Girija Most parents understand that their
first week after reopening, our nurs- Devi, principal of Anna Gem Science children are better off in school than
ery section is at full strength with Park Matriculation Higher Second- at home. With very few resources to
100 students in lower KG and 100 ary School, Chennai. learn with at home, AWC children
in upper KG. In the academic year In Tamil Nadu’s 54,000 angan- are delighted to be back in school,”
2020-21, the admissions plunged to wadi centres (AWCs) — essentially says advocate MJ John Arokia
60 and in the academic year 2021- nutrition centres for new-borns Prabhu, vice president of the Tamil
22, 50 parents took our application and lactating mothers that also Nadu Private Schools Association
forms but only 30 paid the stipulated provide free-of-charge ECCE (early and counsel of the National Indepen-
admission/tuition fee. Clearly, now childhood care and education) to dent Schools Alliance (NISA).
most parents are confident about children in the 0-6 age group — the Quite clearly Tamil Nadu’s young-
sending their infants to school. enthusiasm about returning to in- est children are ready, willing and
This is because we are adhering to person classes is discernibly greater. eager to learn. Now the ball is in the
all Covid-19 safety protocols,” says AWCs are a refuge for children from educators’ court.
Sudha Malini, principal of the bottom-of-the-pyramid house- Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai)

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