Study to improve kids’ pre-school education

The move is aimed at making children ‘school-ready’, said officials who monitor the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme in the department.

The Delhi government’s women and child development (WCD) department plans to conduct a study into the effectiveness and functioning of aanganwadi centres (AWCs) across the national capital to improve the status of pre-school education of the children enrolled.

The Delhi government’s women and child development (WCD) department plans to conduct a study into the effectiveness and functioning of aanganwadi centres (AWCs) across the national capital to improve the status of pre-school education of the children enrolled. (HT File Photo)

The move is aimed at making children ‘school-ready’, said officials who monitor the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme in the department.

The survey is one of the major recommendations made by the department’s sub-committee on ‘pre-school education’ that met earlier this month.

Under the ICDS scheme, aanganwadi centres, besides providing supplementary nutrition diet to children up to six years, are also meant to impart pre-school education to them, along with immunisation and health check-ups.

“During several inspections, it was found that the children, who mostly come from low-income groups, were not prepared for mainstream education. The AWCs are spread in such a way that a getting sample size through a survey will help identify the gaps and also assess the impact of reforms being introduced,” said a senior official.

There are around 10, 758 AWCs across the city, while about 6.5 lakh beneficiaries, including children, pregnant and lactating women, are enrolled.

Pre-school activities such as learning to sit with other children, listening and speaking skills, recognising colours and alphabets is crucial for being prepared for primary classes.

“The survey will assess the effectiveness of the centres in tracking these children in the respective areas and the challenges they face in getting them admitted to primary schools,” said another official.

Besides, the sub-committee also said that the three municipal corporations in the city, along with the women and child development department, will keep a record and track the details of these children. The corporation-run schools provide education up to primary classes.

The department has also come up with a new theme-based curriculum for pre-school education for a year.

“The curriculum has been prepared incorporating suggestions from various agencies working on the ground in an exercise spanning over a year. It provides for more contemporary and improved way of learning in comparison to the previous curriculum,” the official said.