Government Approves the Proposal for Regulating Crèches, Playschools

The Union Cabinet has finally given the green light to a proposal for regulating and monitoring the quality of care and education being provided to kids at crèches and play schools across the nation.
On 20 September 2013, the Cabinet gave approval to the draft policy of the National Early Childhood Care and Education (NECCE) for establishing a national council, which will set up guidelines for standardization of teaching and learning aids, trained manpower, sanitation and hygiene norms in play schools and kids’ day care centers around the country.
According to proposal, a National and state-wise ECCE Councils will be set up to implement the policy throughout the country but only the Ministry of Women and Child Development will have the authority to make necessary changes in it.
The approved policy will specify the minimum qualification requirement to be a teacher at such centers and seeks all the centers to be registered with the government under this policy.
A curriculum framework and quality standards would have to be developed under the policy, which will be circulated to the states for the preparation of action plans and their implementation by them.
The policy also includes setting up penal provisions to deal with non-compliance of these guidelines, if the case would be.
The policy is expected to benefit directly 158.7 million children below age of six in our country.