Opinion
It is time to ensure the future of Kindergartens in our country is safe, relevant and stress-free for children
It is now up to parents, media, and schools to ensure that we uphold the policy on ECCE and ensure that our children are not burdened, stressed, and forced to learn when they are not ready to do so.
KG, the word that we use for preschools today, is actually the short form of Kindergarten, a term coined by Friedrich Fröbel, the father of Kindergarten (children’s garden). He devised toys for children to use at different ages and developed training books for teachers. He was banned in his own country for his ideas. The epitaph on his grave reads – ‘Let us live for our children’.
Sadly, in our country we have shortened Kindergarten to KG and, apparently believing it stands for kilograms, we burden our young with more books and ‘education’! The future of kindergartens in our country is plagued by safety issues, dearth of proper policies to start or run kindergartens, and the lack of a dedicated ministry responsible for preschools at the state level. Then there is the stress of ‘learning’ being forced on young children as there is no defined curriculum followed by schools in different states. Finally, there is no defined age limit for children for different levels like nursery etc. which results in a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old being taught the same thing in different states, leading to stress, weak foundation and more emotional problems in children. The three most important stakeholders – government, schools and teachers are all evidently working against one another instead of being on the same page.
The Early Childhood Association with Podar Institute of Education conducted a much-needed survey in June 2017 to find out whether the burden of heavy academics that is put on our young children (age 2 to 6 years) is due to schools or the parents. Interviewed were 1920 school heads and principals from Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai and an equal number of parents – 320 – from each city. The results of this survey were an eye opener as they showed that not only are parents unaware of what should be taught to children and when but sadly even the principals and heads of schools, who are the experts trusted by the parents and trained in education (they do have educational degrees!), were clueless about laws, policy and curriculum defined in ECE by the government. They are still shackled by age-old redundant practices and are unwilling to change.
This survey brought to light the following anomalies in our preschool system…
There is not much difference seen in the replies given by school heads and parents. This raises the question: what is the use of a degree in education if it does not prepare and educate one on the right way to teach?
Both parents and school heads are not questioning the relevance of traditional practices for new age learners. While many school heads are embracing changes in primary and secondary education methods, they are not open to changes in pre-primary education.
Preschool education remains tied to performance. (55% parents and 52% school heads connect pre-primary to preparing kids to learn for standard one, 78% school heads and 80% parents believe in testing pre-primary children, 60% school heads and 54% parents are not in favor of removing heavy academics from preschool and replacing it with play)
Reliefs like no homework or tests etc. are given to primary children but none to pre-preprimary.
Only 21% school heads and 2% parents are aware of the government’s ECCE policy and curriculum.
55% parents and 52% school heads want preschools to focus only on preparing children for standard one, with no focus on brain development or nurturing developmental skills.
Decisions by both groups regarding preschool education and curriculum are based not on policy or research but on blind, age-old practices.
77% of school heads were aware that the kindergarten curriculum being followed by them was not in sync with either the ECE curriculum of the ministry or the standard one syllabus outlined by NCERT but were still following the same, unwilling to bring in changes.
The problem with preschools in India is that, despite a well-drafted Early Childhood Policy and Curriculum by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Education ministry at the state level does not handle Early Childhood Education. This leaves no choice but for preschools to make their own curriculum or become ‘preparatory centers’. State governments are now starting to ‘regulate’ preschools but with no policy on quality or curriculum in place, the exercise is futile. It is equally baffling why separate states need to redefine their own early childhood policy and curriculum, when there is already a great policy and curriculum drafted by the central ministry. After all, children between the ages of birth to 6 years go through the same stages of development in every part of the country, don’t they? The solution can come only if Early Childhood Care and Education is not a concurrent subject at the state level. This will lead to a common standard of education across the country and our children, our future, will get the care and nurturing they deserve.
It is time parents and schools read the Early Childhood Curriculum policy of the government of India, which is explicit on what should or should not be taught to children from birth to six years. It is now up to parents, media, and schools to ensure that we uphold the policy on ECCE and ensure that our children are not burdened, stressed, and forced to learn when they are not ready to do so. The Early Childhood Association strongly advocates stress-free kindergarten years, which is also mentioned in the Early Childhood Policy of the Women and Child Development Ministry. Heavy academics should be removed to ensure that young children get play-based environments to grow, and develop better social and emotional skills.
It is time to ensure the future of Kindergartens in our country is safe, relevant and stress-free for children.
About the Author:
Dr. Swati Popat Vats
Founder President of Early Childhood Association India, www.eca-india.org, which works for quality care and education of our youngest citizens (0 to 6 years), Dr. Swati is also President of Podar Education Network. She leads over 290 preschools and daycares as Founder Director of Podar Jumbo Kids. She is also National representative for the World Forum Foundation, and Nursery Director of Little Wonders Nursery (UAE) with branches in Jumeirah and Sharjah. She has received many accolades and awards for her contribution to Early Childhood Education and has been conferred the Fellowship of Honor from the New Zealand Tertiary College. An author of many books for parents and children, she is a strong advocate of nature based learning in the early years and promotes brain research based teaching and parenting in her workshops across the globe.