The Union women and child development ministry is working on a policy structure to regulate pre-schools that provide basic education to children under six years and ensure a questionable quality of service. It is generally run by Anganwadi centres plus private agencies.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has already prepared the guidelines and put it in public domain for feedback, said Union women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday.
“Schooling comes under the human resource and development ministry but regulating pre-school is a grey area as it does not come under them. We have been thinking for regulating pre-school and have now decided to come up with guidelines in this aspect,” said Gandhi at a press conference.
Issue like teacher-student proportion, syllabus, infrastructure and the age of admission in pre-schools along with safety and security aspects will be included in the fresh guidelines.
In 2013, the WCD ministry introduced the National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy to supervise pre-school education that is being provided in educational institutions under different names like play schools, pre-schools, nursery schools etc.
The purpose of the plan framed and recommended by NCPCR is to get rid of vagueness in such private educational institutions in India.
Besides, it wants to attain national along with global commitment of pre-school education. As per Gandhi, her ministry is also considering to establish a central tribunal for adoptions.
