Early Childhood Learning
Early Childhood Learning refers to the education that is provided for children ranging from 3–8 years either in school or otherwise. This is done to prepare them for the education that they will receive from the school in 1st grade. These days the schools expect the children to know the basics of shapes, colors, alphabets, and numbers. Such training would help them to understand the lessons from school better and effectively. Early Childhood Education is a concept that is prevalent in urban India, where parents send their young children for pre-school classes. In rural India, this is seen in a much more informal form, with no proper infrastructure and system.
Early Childhood Learning starts from birth itself, from their own homes, and by their parents. It is continued and carried on by stimulation from daycare centres as well as pre-school systems. It is then carried forward by the primary school system.
Rather than strict schedules or syllabus, the children are taught using much more liberal methods with drawings, pictures, or videos. The timings of said schools are also considered flexible and short. The children are handled in techniques similar to that of a day-care center with more visual and audio accompaniments. The methods are playful and relatable to the intellect of the children from that age range. However, the teachers are expected to have certification for their qualifications along with an affinity towards children.
There are a large number of schools that have been started specifically for this purpose as well. However, there aren’t many government-aided pre-schools in our country. In Urban India, the numbers are mainly dominated by private institutions that open their own schools for this purpose. In rural India, however, there is no such system in place and it is carried on by either Anganwadis or local communities.
Studies and researches have shown that good quality early childhood education prepares the children better for the future and also shows signs of better personality development as well. Depending on the quality of learning from this age, it could increase the confidence as well as the self-image of the children. It contributes towards the holistic growth of a child from both social, emotional, and mental aspects as well. It is known that children start learning from a very young age and if this potential can be directed efficiently and developed, then the students can become better individuals through the help of the school system.
However, the scenario of early childhood learning is limited and is not accessible to every child in India as of now. With the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009, children from the age of six to fourteen are provided with education, and the infrastructure, as well as the systems for the same, have been put in place. However, for the younger children, there has been no measure undertaken on the government’s part. If the better government–aided institutions can be created for this purpose, then the children would benefit the most.
-By Mariya Joseph, SDF Batch 14, St Joseph College, Bangalore, Karnataka
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