26 September Shimla
A five-day state-level orientation programme on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) was organised in Himachal Pradesh to strengthen pre-primary education in schools under the PM SHRI scheme. Around 71 participants from six districts attended the programme.
The orientation programme was aimed at equipping Block Elementary Education Officers (BEEOs) with a better understanding of ECCE and its effective implementation at the school level. The initiative focused on strengthening pre-primary education through academic support, guidance, mentoring and regular monitoring.
The inaugural session was attended by Gyan Chand, Deputy Director of Elementary Education and District Project Officer, Kullu, and Satish Jaspa, Principal, DIET Kullu, as chief guests. SCERT Solan Pre-Primary Coordinator Ranjana Rana, Samagra Shiksha State ECCE Coordinator Sunita Chauhan, Rekha Guleria, former ECCE Coordinator Dalip Verma, DIET Kullu Pre-Primary Coordinator Kavita Guleria, Chaman Prakash, Kuldeep Sharma, Poonam Sharma and Sheela Sharma, among others, were also present.
Focus on holistic development of children
Participants were introduced to the concept of ECCE and its various dimensions, with emphasis on implementing pre-primary programmes effectively in their respective blocks. The sessions highlighted that ECCE is not limited to early reading and writing skills but focuses on children’s physical, cognitive, social-emotional, language and creative development.
The programme also covered provisions of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS). Participants discussed activity-based approaches for developing communication, thinking, motor, social, emotional, creative and self-help skills among young learners.
‘Himvatika’ and ‘Jadui Pitara’ highlighted
Special emphasis was laid on the use of learning resources such as ‘Himvatika’ and ‘Jadui Pitara’ to make classroom learning more engaging. Participants were encouraged to use toys, games, puzzles, puppets, pictures, flashcards, stories and locally available materials to promote play-based and experiential learning.
Emphasis on ‘Pehli Shikshak–Maa’ initiative
Community participation and the ‘Pehli Shikshak–Maa’ initiative were also highlighted as important components of ECCE. The sessions focused on enabling mothers to undertake developmental, language and creative activities with children at home, while also creating awareness about health, safety and nutrition.
Participants were also sensitised to the importance of assessment, mentoring and monitoring to provide teachers with timely academic support, review classroom practices and address challenges.
Participants discuss action plan
During the workshop, participants discussed action plans for strengthening ECCE in their respective blocks. The discussions focused on improving pre-primary activities at the school level, providing continuous academic support to teachers, increasing parental and community participation and creating a child-friendly learning environment.
At the concluding session, Satish Jaspa, Principal, DIET Kullu, and Sunil Sharma, Section Officer, addressed the participants and called upon them to implement the learning from the programme effectively in their respective areas.
Resource persons Kuldeep, Kewal Krishna, Jagriti and Purushottam from the Pratham Education Foundation provided training and academic support to participants on various aspects of ECCE.
