Lucknow, May 27
In Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government is working to strengthen education reforms not only at the primary and upper primary levels but also at the pre-primary level. Distribution of activity-based modern learning material for children in the 3 to 6 years age group has started in all co-located Anganwadi centres and Balvatikas across the state.
Through materials like ‘Chahak-1, 2, 3’, ‘Kadam’, ‘Kalankur’, Big Book, Holistic Report Card and Balvatika booklet, lakhs of children will now get a new and better environment for early education. This initiative of the Yogi government is being considered important in implementing the vision of the National Education Policy-2020 on the ground, in which Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) has been considered the foundation of children’s learning.
Now in Uttar Pradesh, Anganwadi centres and Balvatikas are not being limited only to nutrition and care, but are being developed as centres of early education and activity-based learning. According to the issued instructions, learning material according to age groups will be made available in all co-located Anganwadi centres and Balvatikas across the state. Under this, ‘Chahak-1’, ‘Chahak-2’, ‘Chahak-3’, ‘Kadam’, ‘Kalankur’, Balvatika handbook, 12 types of Big Books, Holistic Report Cards and teaching charts will be distributed.
Large-scale campaigns such as Smart Schools, Operation Kayakalp, digital monitoring and the NIPUN Bharat Mission are already being run under basic education in the state. Now, by linking pre-primary education with the same broader education reform campaign, special focus is being given to strengthening children’s early learning abilities.
This campaign can help Uttar Pradesh emerge among the leading states in the country in the coming time in providing quality early education to children from rural and deprived families. The age of 3 to 6 years is the most important stage for children’s mental, linguistic and social development. For this reason, activity-based, play-based and child-centric teaching methods are being promoted. The ‘Chahak’ series booklets will help develop language skills, speaking-listening abilities and basic learning competencies among children.
At the same time, materials like ‘Kadam’ and ‘Kalankur’ will help increase children’s intellectual development, creativity, curiosity and interest in learning. Along with this, through Big Book and Teacher Guide, ECCE educators and Anganwadi workers will also be connected with modern teaching techniques.
The Yogi government has implemented a real-time monitoring system through the ‘Kitab Vitaran App’ to make the entire distribution process technology-based and transparent. BSAs, BEOs, headmasters, ARPs, SRGs and DIET mentors have been given responsibility for monitoring and scanning the distribution process.
Through this digital system, it will be ensured at the government level which Balvatikas have received the material. This will strengthen both transparency and accountability in the distribution system. For the first time in Uttar Pradesh, pre-primary education is being given an institutional form on such a large scale. Until now, the government education system was mostly focused on primary and upper primary classes, but now equal priority is also being given to children’s early learning stage. Now education reforms are being seriously worked upon in the direction of strengthening the foundation of children’s learning.
