What is ECCE? Know all about Unpacking Early Childhood Care & Education policy in NEP

The National Education Policy or the NEP will be bringing many changes to the existing education system, one of which is the Early Childhood Care and Education or the ECCE. It is aimed at early brain development and child care in remote schools and playschools.

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What is ECCE? 

According to reports, the ECCE is aiming to assist brain development at an early age in socio-economically deprived communities across the country. According to reports, by the year 2030, the policy will determine steps to establish child development activities, care driven initiative and educational goals. 

The notification also stated that “The first six of life are critical years of human life since the rate of development in these years is more rapid than at any other stage of development. Global brain research also informs us about the significance of early years for brain development. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE in NEP) makes a positive contribution to children’s long term development and learning by facilitating an enabling and stimulating environment in these foundation stages of lifelong learning."

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According to reports, the ECCE program is closely associated with the learning results in primary schools along with the improved retention rates, attendance of children and the aim to touch learning outcomes. as per a study conducted by NCERT.

Ministry of Women and Child Development has given following diagram to understand what is ECCE

Image credits: Ministry of Women and Child Development website

The ECCE will also focus on the activities which involve sensory involvement. It will establish play-based study modules, and a feedback and inquiry-based study pattern. Apart from that, it will involve interactions that focus on the physical development of a child, while studying in a primary division.

The notification reads, “The purpose of this framework is to promote quality and excellence in early childhood education by providing guidelines for practices that would promote optimum learning and development of all young children and set out the broad arrangement of approaches and experiences rather than a detailed definition of the content. A cautious approach is being adopted to not provide a detailed curriculum/syllabus which would be prescriptive and ‘delivered’ to the young children in a ‘straight-jacketed manner’. The Curriculum Framework calls attention to the common principles and developmental tasks, at the same time, respecting the diversity in the child-rearing practices and contextual ECCE needs." 

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