Page 24 - EW Jan 2024_Neat

Education News

compete with test prep centres,” says all preschools — govern-
Naman Jain, director, Silverline ment, non-government,
Prestige School, Ghaziabad. private, NGOs — will
If PARAKH succeeds is stan- have to admit children
dardising the syllabuses and curricu- into nursery classes af-
lums of the country’s 69 examination ter they attain the age
boards and ensures near equiva- of three. All preschools
lence, it will undoubtedly give a will have to register on a
huge quality boost to K-12 education government portal and
countrywide. The country’s mas- provide details of teach-
sive Rs.20,000 crore test-prep aka ers, their qualifications,
coaching industry owes its prosperity the number of children
to obsolete syllabuses/curriculums enrolled with their age
prescribed by state exam boards, details and align their
poor teaching-learning standards in Mumbai nursery children. Inset: Dr. Swati Popat Vats curriculums with the
the great majority of the country’s National Curriculum
1.4 million schools which continue to Indeed, acknowledging the criti- Framework for Foundational Stage
test rote learning and memorisation cal importance of early childhood (NCF-FS) 2022. This will formalize
skills of children. On the other hand, care and education (ECCE) — a cause ECCE and nursery education,” says
admission departments of undergrad propagated by EducationWorld since Dr. Vats.
colleges are increasingly demanding 2010 — the Dr. K. Kasturirangan his rule will become applicable
critical thinking, problem-solving Committee on which NEP 2020 is Tfrom the academic year 2024-25.
and innovation skills. based, proposed that three years of Therefore, the question arises what
If the PARAKH initiative en- professionally provided ECCE should will be the status of children who
ables standardisation of secondary be extended to class II with the first were signed up in playschool at young
education syllabuses, curriculums five years described as “foundational age and have already been admitted
and pedagogies, it could translate education”. in nursery class at ages below three?
into the beginning of the end of the Suraj Mandhare, education “Children below three years in nurser-
iniquitous test-prep industry which commissioner, believes that three to ies will have to mark time in nursery
favours children from rich house- six years are critical for child develop- class before being promoted to Junior
holds to disadvantage of the poor. ment. Thus far, in most pre-primary KG. This is not a bad thing as it will
Autar Nehru (Delhi) schools there wasn’t any distinction make them better prepared for the
between playschool/crèches and next higher class. That’s why this age
MAHARASHTRA nursery. “Therefore, children who mandate is operational from the next
ECCE formalisation were enrolled in playschool were of- academic year. But from April/June
— as academic year starts in these
ten promoted to nursery — formal
ECCE — at very young age which is months — 2024, no child below age
ith the national education not advisable for their orderly growth three should be admitted into nursery
Policy (NEP) 2020 hav- and development. As per NEP 2020, to ensure that she enters primary edu-
Wing restructured the 10+2 foundational primary education is cation at age six as mandated by the
school system of over half a century from nursery to class II to give chil- Right of Children to Free & Compul-
to the 5+3+3+4 system by tagging dren a firm foundation to derive the sory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 and
on three years of formal early child- benefit of further education. The state NEP 2020,” says Dr. Popat Vats.
hood education, the BJP/Shiv Sena government’s circular is to ensure that The probability is that this provi-
government has issued a circular to from the next academic year children sion will be clearly spelt out in a com-
all schools statewide not to admit don’t start nursery education before prehensive Bill regulating ECCE which
children below the age of three into age three. A draft Bill has been pre- is under preparation in the state legis-
nursery class. Henceforth, children pared to regulate and standardise lative assembly. Meanwhile within the
enrolling into the nursery class will ECCE,” says Mandhare. sentient educators community there is
have to be three years of age, junior Dr. Swati Popat Vats, President general satisfaction that ECCE — in-
kindergarten (age four) and senior KG of the Early Childhood Association cluding early years education in 1.39
(age five) so that when children enter (estb.2010) which has a membership million anganwadis promoted by the
class I they will be six years of age as of over 40,000 preschools/members Central government — is finally get-
mandated by the Right to Education nationwide, welcomes this circular ting the importance it deserves.
Act, 2009 and NEP 2020. and proposed legislation. “This means Nasrin Modak Siddiqi (Mumbai)

24 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2024