Centre to launch curriculum for early childhood care, education

For children from birth to three years, the National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation 2024 aims to empower caregivers and Anganwadi Workers for holistic early stimulation.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development will launch a National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for children aged between three and six years. A National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation will be offered for children from birth to three years.

The National Curriculum for ECCE 2024 covers all domains of development as per the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage 2022 (NCF-FS), including physical/motor, cognitive, language and literacy, socio-emotional, cultural/aesthetic as well as positive habits, the ministry said

It aims to improve the quality of ECCE transacted at the Anganwadi centre by prioritising competency-based lesson plans and activities, presented in a simple and user-friendly manner. It addresses how children learn in early years, with a focus on playful joy-based learning, in preparation for primary school.

The curriculum is structured to provide a weekly calendar comprising 36 weeks of active learning, eight weeks of reinforcement and four weeks of initiation, together with 5+1 days of play-based learning in one week, and three blocks of activities in one day. It provides for a combination of activities, including in-centre and at-home, indoor and outdoor, child-led and educator-led etc.

Special focus has been laid on screening, inclusion and referrals of divyang children in every activity.

The National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation 2024 aims to empower caregivers and anganwadi workers for holistic early stimulation, through responsive caregiving and opportunities for early learning, for the optimal development of children, both body and brain.

The framework will provide anganwadi workers a basic understanding of how children grow and develop, the importance of brain development and the need for nurturing care. Thirty-six month-wise age-based activities are provided that can be conducted both within the household as well as at the anganwadi centre or a creche

The documents have been prepared by the National Institute for Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), with the support of an internal committee and development partners. NIPCCD will lead the training of anganwadi functionaries.