ECCE - Early Childhood Care and Education - A Complete Guide

‘’Early childhood’’ is an important stage of human life, during which children (birth to 8 years) undergo rapid cognitive, emotional, and behavioural development. This period sets the stage for long-term physical and mental health.

Positive relationships with parents and teachers have a long-lasting impact on children, helping them to develop emotionally. Therefore, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is one of the main focuses of the national educational policy 2020. But what is ECCE, and how does it affect children? Let’s find out.

Meaning and Significance of ECCE

Early childhood care and education refers to children’s comprehensive development from birth to around eight years old. It puts equal emphasis on their physical, emotional, cognitive, and social abilities.

ECCE structure programs are instrumental in providing informal learning experiences and adequate care to children, ensuring good health and foundational learning. Therefore, carers incorporate play-based activities, which stimulate cognitive development.

Parents ensure that their children get proper nutrition and healthcare through timely and healthy food and proper hygiene. Also, carers must encourage children to engage in age-appropriate activities, fostering motor skills development. Simultaneously, maintaining a positive parent-child relationship is vital for building self-confidence and communication skills.

Besides, the initial years of a child are significant for brain growth, laying the foundation for further development. Hence, children who receive well-structured ECCE perform better in primary education and attain numeracy skills.

Furthermore, children learn to regulate their emotions and use direct communication and empathy in different situations.

Objectives of Early Childhood Care and Education

Approximately 85 percent of a child’s brain growth occurs in the first six years of their lives; therefore, a high-quality ECCE is essential with the following objectives.

• A child’s holistic development, including his/her physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and language skills.
• Facilitating pre-literacy, problem-solving skills, and pre-numeracy to prepare children for primary schooling.
• Ensuring cognitive development through play-based and experiential learning activities that foster creativity, basic thinking skills, memory, etc.
• Creating an enriching learning environment that helps to build communication abilities, self-confidence, and cooperation.
• Including play-based activities, movements, and healthy habits to improve fine and gross motor skills.
• Encouraging self-expression of thoughts and emotions by motivating children to use words to convey what they feel or want. At the same time, emphasise the importance of listening.
• Ensure basic health care by following proper nutrition and hygiene guidelines.
• Inculcate moral and ethical values like respect, kindness, honesty, etc.
• Collaborate with parents to help them get more involved in their child’s education and create an enriching home environment.
• Avoid disparities by providing equitable learning opportunities to children irrespective of their socio-cultural and economic backgrounds.

Components of Early Childhood Care and Education

NEP 2020 has laid out special recommendations for early childhood education, highlighting specific components to build a foundation for lifelong growth.

1. Universal Access to ECCE

The lack of properly trained teachers and inadequate educational resources pose a serious challenge to early child care and education. Therefore, the policy highlights the importance of universal access to ECCE.

A key step includes employing a multi-strategic approach that strengthens pre-primary schools, Anganwadi centres, and private ECCE institutions. This approach focuses on curriculum, infrastructure, teacher training, community involvement, etc.

Anganwadi centres must have proper facilities, including child-friendly furniture, safe drinking water, and proper sanitation. The pre-primary and private institutes must ensure that the classrooms have proper ventilation, lighting, and hygiene standards.

2. Incorporation of ECCE with Schooling

The 5+3+3+4 academic system will replace the 10+2 system, and the first five years will be the foundational education stage for children aged 3 to 8. The school management will ensure a smooth transition from preschool to primary school.

Schools can implement a continuity-based curriculum that aligns pre-primary and primary curricula, helping to introduce formal learning. In effect, it allows students to learn through play-based methods without sudden academic pressure.

3. Play-Based and Multilingual Education

Play-based and experiential learning is a central component that utilizes structured play (child-led) and unstructured play (teacher-led) activities. Teachers also employ multisensory-based activities, wherein children must see, hear, touch, and move to learn.

Role-playing and storytelling are additional methods that allow students to learn about different concepts in a fun and engaging way. On the other hand, a multilingual educational approach enables them to learn in their native tongue or home language till Grade 5. Consequently, it leads to better conceptual understanding and cognitive abilities.

4. Qualified and Trained ECCE Educators

ECCE teachers and educators must undergo comprehensive training, making them competent to ensure children’s emotional, cognitive, social, and physical development. The policy recommends the development of a National Curriculum Framework for early childhood and care education (NCF-ECCE).

The curriculum includes systematic training, pedagogy, and curriculum for educators and focuses on activity-oriented learning. Moreover, continuous professional development for ECCE educators is vital for providing consistent support. In effect, it helps them stay on track with the latest research and pedagogies.

5. Parent and Community Engagement

Parental involvement is a vital part of ECCE in NEP 2020 as it points out the importance of educating parents about child development. It aims to increase parents’ awareness of how they can create a supportive environment, which contributes to learning.

Community-based programs, training sessions, and workshops educate and introduce teachers to various culturally relevant learning methods. Besides, these programs help to strengthen networks within the communities among teachers, families, and local organizations.

6. Focus on Underprivileged Children

Children from socio-economically weaker sections of society often have little or no access to pre-primary and primary education. That is why NEP 2020 emphasizes creating equal learning opportunities with a special focus on underprivileged and marginalized children through various strategies such as:

• Expansion of ECCE programs in rural, tribal, and remote areas.
• Development of community-based programs, Anganwadi centres, and appropriate delivery mechanisms to reach out to marginalized children.
• Making the programs accessible to children with disabilities through well-thought-out initiatives and interventions.
• Ensuring gender equality by providing quality early education to both girls and boys from varying socio-cultural and economic backgrounds.

ECCE in the Global Context

Countries across the world invest in various ECCE initiatives through a range of educational practices and policies. Besides, studies and research suggest that children who attend quality programs are more likely to do well in primary and secondary education.

Furthermore, early childhood care and education is a vital part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For instance, Goal 4 highlights the aim of providing adequate early childhood education to every child, irrespective of their background.

On the other hand, Goal 10 points out the disparities that prevent children from different socio-economic backgrounds from accessing equal learning opportunities. What’s more, prominent organisations like UNESCO and UNICEF promote and support ECCE as a core agenda.