We Need To Focus On Early Childhood Education For The Underprivileged
Early years (0 to 6 years) are the most significant periods of growth and development in a child’s lifetime. The Foundation of all learning in these years. The child’s brain is a complex interplay of thousands of neural connections that are mould by experience and the environment. These links are influencing the way children to grow up, learn and thrive. Many children in vulnerable communities lack the conditions that underpin these relations, i.e. adequate nutrition. And also protection from violence and harassment, sensitive treatment and the provision of learning opportunities.
The Need Of A Better Start
Non-availability of favourable conditions can cause a lifetime of health. And productivity issues, including a reduction in adult earnings by up to 25 per cent. Simply put, the cumulative burden of poverty, neglect, and violence is astronomically more extensive than what most children can overcome.
In most cases, low-income households face a very crippling crisis in treatment. They are generally lost between the need to provide care for their children. And the need to raise money to support them.
The lack of quality daycare or preschool services, combined with dangerous communities that are not suitable for raising children, intensify the problems of early childcare.
Science has undoubtedly recognised the significance and necessity of investing in early childhood car. And education as a way to enhance outcomes later in life. Research demonstrates that high-quality early learning, early childhood education and early childhood development (ECD) services help minimise the chances of recurrence and recurrence and increase outcomes at all levels of education. Getting the foundations right carries enormous future benefits. Like better learning in school and higher educational attainment, which results in significant social and economic gains for society.
Children who receive pre-primary education, with facilities where they can play, visualise, build, socialise, are more likely to acquire skills that can help them excel in school. And thus carve out a progressive future for themselves.
When children are in pre-primary education, their parents or other caregivers will go to work. Realize that their children are in a healthy learning environment. Making early childhood education much more a catalyst for economic development.
Lime Light On Early Education
The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme of the Government of India has brought a renewed focus and attention on Early Childhood Education, encouraging states to augment Anganwadi centres in government primary schools with innovative teaching interventions.
“Balwadi,” a term that originated in Mumbai, is a preschool that offers education to children between the ages of 3 and 5. Balwadis focuses on establishing a formal preschool environment for children in under-resource communities who aren’t a part of any other preschool setting.
The purpose of this programme is to meet the developmental needs of children during their formative years and to make them ready to undergo formal schooling. They are run in the community itself-in temple premises, under a tree, or in the home of the Balwadi instructors.
The Balwadi Curriculum
The Balwadi curriculum is model on the growth of physical skill, language ability, social and emotional capacity, cognitive ability, and creative ability. There is an equal emphasis on instructor and child-directed events, individual and group activities, and indoor and outdoor activities. The various activities are designed to improve the overall development of the child.
The Balwadi operates for a minimum of 3 hours every day for a period of 9 to 10 months.
The primary aim of the Balwadi program is to help children develop cognitive, social, fine & gross motor, numerical skills with the necessary language, emotional abilities, teach healthy habits, personal hygiene, foster creativity and self-reliance.
According to a detailed report on the State of Municipal Education in Mumbai, December 2015 by the Praja Foundation, the last five years have seen enrolment in schools run by MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) drop by around 40,778 students, an aggregate reduction of 9%. To tackle this, under the flagship of Lessons for life initiative, focusing on experiential education, Bhavyata Foundation has taken up the operations of five Balwadis (preschools) from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation since September 2018.
Bhavyata Foundation’s Intervention
Bhavyata Foundation, with its expert team of educators and a panel of experts in child education. Is dedicate to nurturing healthy and empowering childhood to the neediest and unprivileged children in urban Mumbai. We work in experiential education, emphasising on learning by interaction with teaching aids. A student-centric pedagogy, inspiring curiosity and responsibility to learn.
Our intervention in the education of preschool children in underprivileged sections of society covers the following subjects. And topics for communication for all-round development of the children. Our methods of effective teaching revolve around language and literacy, speech and information. In addition print activity, picture and object visualisation, social skills, non-conflicting communication, respecting children’s emotions, arts and crafts, theatre, dance, and music.
Holistic, nurturing early childhood education is essential for every child. But the lack of it is exacerbate in low-income communities. Which is why we believe that our initiative sets a norm that could be follow by cities around India.