EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION: AN OVERVIEW

Children see the world with intense curiosity and are ready to emulate things around them. They observe
the things they see; listen with passion what they hear and try to interpret what they experience. Early
childhood education in India was mainly conducted in Anganwadis. The focus was mainly on the health and
nutrition of children. It focused on ensuring that children are provided with nutritious food. The National
Policy on Education NPE 2020 intends to make quality pre-primary education accessible to all children
across India by 2030. It has given strong recommendation on early childhood care and education as the
foundation years in a child’s life play a crucial role in his/her future development and success. The new
policy recommends a play-based, activity-based learning system. It focuses on arts, crafts, drama, music,
puppetry, sports and games. The children should be exposed to various learning experiences through which
the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and aesthetic development takes place. An action plan has to be
chalked out taking care of the current situation, the needs and demands and the challenges in implementing
quality early childhood care and education. It includes ensuring systematic planning for each aspect,
bridging the digital divide in India and ensuring adequate resources for providing infrastructure and
training.