The guidelines launched by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Women & Child Development to align with the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- NEP 2020 recognizes Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as the foundation of the learning continuum by integrating three years of pre-school into the 5+3+3+4 structure.
- Objectives of Co-location
- To ensure school preparedness and smooth transition of children from Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) to Grade 1 in primary schools.
- Facilitates better utilization of infrastructure, enhances school readiness, and strengthens convergence between the education and nutrition sectors.
- Enhance learning and developmental outcomes.
- Current Status: Over 14 lakh AWCs and in 9.16 lakh schools with Grade 1, 2.9 lakh AWCs are already co-located.
- Recommendations:
- Co-located schools should not exceed 500 meters in urban areas and 1 km in rural areas.
- Prioritize co-location of those AWCs where most of the children belong to marginalized groups (economically weaker sections, tribal areas, and migrant families).
- Co-location may preferably be considered in schools with Grade 1 that do not have an existing Balvatika/pre-primary class.
- Co-located AWCs should have separate entry and exit gates.
Initiatives for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
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