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Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy notified by govt.
The government has notified the national ‘Early Childhood Care and Education’ (ECCE) policy which will work towards achieving holistic development of children below 6 years of age, including those from the Muslim community.
It was conveyed to the Lok Sabha yesterday that the government has notified the national 'Early Childhood Care and Education' (ECCE) policy which will work towards achieving holistic development of children below 6 years of age, including those from the Muslim community.
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was asked about the Centre's reaction to a 2013-14 UNICEF Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC) indicating 34% and 25.6% of Muslim and Christian children (below six years) respectively do not attend pre-school.
"The government has reaffirmed its commitment to promote early childhood care and education by formulating and notifying National Early Childhood Care and Education policy," the Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) said.
The ECCE policy is formulated with a vision to achieve holistic development and active learning capacity of all children below 6 years of age by promoting free, universal, inclusive, equitable, joyful and contexualised opportunities for laying foundation and attaining full potential.
The government provides ECCE as one of the 6 free services provided through Anganwadi centres located across the country under the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) scheme of Ministry of Women and Child Development.
To the uninitiated the ICDS is a universal self-selecting scheme available to all the beneficiaries who enroll at the Anganwadi centres irrespective of caste and religion.
The ICDS scheme has been universalised and is currently covering 14 lakh habitations with approximately 3.50 crore children (aged between 3 and 6 years) attending pre-school education at 13.50 lakh Anganwadi centres as on March 31, 2016.
*Read the original story at www.timesofindia.com
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