Draft NEP proposes formal education from age of three

Why in news?
  • Draft National Education Policy has projected an expansion of the Right to Education Act to cover the three years of preschool before Class 1.
  • With this all Indian children could soon enter the formal education system at the age of three.
More in news
  • Scope to upheaval in the anganwadi system:
    (1) At present early childhood education to the age group of 3-6 has been under taken by private pre-schools and anganwadis.
    (2) The draft policy also wants early childhood education to be overseen and regulated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) as part of the school system.
  • Brief introduction of draft NEP:
    (1) Provision for establishment of an inter-ministerial task force will work out a roadmap for the transition by the end of 2019.
    (2) The HRD Ministry is in the early stages of assessing the implications.
    (3) Provisions for teacher recruitment and training, infrastructure and learning materials.
    (4) Nutritional aspects including the plan to provide breakfast to children.
    (5) The draft Policy suggests a new integrated curricular framework for 3 to 8-year old with a flexible system based on play, activity and discovery, and beginning exposure to three languages from age 3 onwards.
Image source: The Hindu.
  • Present situation of anganwadis:
    (1) The draft Policy notes that their record in education is not so strong.
    (2) Anganwadis are currently deficient in supplies and infrastructure for education.
    (3) As a result, they tend to contain more children in the 2-4 years age range and fewer in the educationally critical 4-6 years age range.
    (4) They also have few teachers trained in or specially dedicated to early childhood education.

Source
The hindu




Posted by Jawwad Kazi on 10th Jun 2019
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