Government plans quality norms for playschools too

MUMBAI: Preschool children are vulnerable to ill-treatment by non-skilled staff and in extreme scenarios can even be subject to violent abuse. Recent incidents, such as those of six kindergarten children allegedly branded with a hot iron rod by a school attendant in a private school in Bangalore and the equally unfortunate instance of a three-year-old girl being raped in a playschool in west Delhi aren't solitary incidents, according to sociologists.
The lack of any systemic check on the preschool sector has caused alarm, but this is set to change. India may introduce an early childhood care and education policy replete with quality standards for service providers in the preschool sector, be they government-run anganwadis or players in the private sector such as playschools, crèches, nurseries, kindergartens, home-based child care systems, or even crèche facilities provided at the workplace. The proposed policy and quality standards, which may be finalized soon by the ministry of women & child development, will set out physical and emotional safety parameters and call for trained staff.
If the policy were to go through, playschools and crèches would have to adhere to additional "non-negotiable" norms, including minimum space requirements. For instance, a classroom that accommodates 30 children would need to be at least 35 square metres in area and provide 30 sq m of outdoor space. Preschools would also need to have separate toilets for girls and boys.
The draft envisages a uniform curriculum framework across India-such as stipulating the age at which writing should be introduced. A dual language policy, which includes the mother tongue, will also be encouraged for interactions with children.
The policy will protect the interests of children in the 0-6 age group, who number 16 crore as per Census 2011. "Education at the preschool age plays a vital role in a child's development. Studies have shown that if learning is inculcated at an early age, it lowers school dropout rates. Mushrooming of players in this segment has made it imperative to have uniform quality standards," said a member of the Association for Early Childhood and Development (AECD), who was involved in formulating the draft policy.
The draft quality standards cover issues such as teacher-child ratios, health and nutrition, protective care, including emotional safety, good infrastructure in terms of space, water and toilets, proper training and periodic assessment of staff.
The policy envisages a voluntary accreditation module, which exists in Ireland, Australia, Kenya and some other countries. A weighted rating mechanism will take into consideration various parameters. Accreditors trained by a national-level council will conduct reviews. "The objective is to enable parents and society to make an informed decision. For private pre-primary schools, it will translate into more admissions and revenue; government-run organizations could be prompted to seek accreditation by tying the process with incentives such as teacher training, or other incentives," the member said.
The private sector finds it difficult to come to terms with some standards. "The norms must be more realistic. How can you have separate toilets for boys and girls in a mobile crèche or in a village preschool?" asks Rajesh Bhatia, founder and managing director, Tree House.