Balvatikas in 107 Chandigarh schools inaugurated

The “Balvatika” or pre-primary III, is a bridge class before a child’s transition to Class 1 at the age of six and is being introduced under the implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP) to further improve foundational education of the children

Punjab governor and UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit virtually inaugurated “Balvatikas” in 107 government schools from Government Model High School (GMHS) Kishangarh on Monday.

Punjab governor and UT administrator Banwari Lal Purohit interacting with students at a Balvatika. (HT Photo)

The “Balvatika” or pre-primary III, is a bridge class before a child’s transition to Class 1 at the age of six. It is being introduced under the implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP) to further improve foundational education of the children. The UT education department had previously implemented early childhood care and education at all Chandigarh schools with pre-primary I and II. While some private schools in tricity had introduced the three-tier system before, GMHS Kishangarh was the first such government school.

For the Balvatika classes, remodelling of classrooms, corridors and play areas and training of teachers will be required, as done at GMHS Kishangarh. The objective of this learning space is to ensure holistic development of the children, aged three to six, that includes socio-emotional, communication, linguistic and analytical skills. The education department also released specially designed workbooks for elementary classes.

As per a UNICEF study, children with at least one year of pre-primary education are more likely to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school and less likely to repeat grades or drop out.

The governor lauded the infrastructure and directed the department that to maintain the same pristine condition. He added that such activities give a platform for experiential learning to the students.