Dr. Rakesh Bharti
Pre-primary education is of great importance to the physical, emotional and intellectual development of children, especially those with unsatisfactory home background. ~Kothari Commission (1964-66).
The foundation of any nation that is willing to be a superpower in every sense of the term always needs to be commendably strong so that it may be able to realize that ambition. One of the several ways in which this can be achieved is through universal provision of education at all levels. India, as a nation, has taken some steps in that regard with the initiation of steps such as free and compulsory education for each child during the age of 6-14 years.
However, one of the biggest loopholes in India’s education system is the absence of good pre-primary schools led by government to cater to the needs of the various sections of the society. In India, the pre primary education is mostly run by private managements. Government schools offer admissions from class “First” onwards and so the only option left for the parents who can afford is to send their children to private pre-primary schools. Others send their children to government run Anganwadi centres which lack infrastructure, quality and trained teachers.
Since education of children between 3-6 years of age is not a fundamental right as such it is not legally mandated. Why does the right to free education till the age of 14 years not specify the lower limit; the age at which this much-needed free service should begin? Because of this preschool education is suffering from inadequate coverage and poor quality benefiting very few children. The first step towards universal primary education lies in universal pre-school education. Without making a universal provision in pre-primary education, the constitutional target of universalisation of primary education can’t be achieved. Adequate and satisfactory provision of pre-primary education is conducive to the effective enforcement of compulsory primary education.
There is a general opinion that pre-primary education is a missing and weakest link for the children belonging to rural and low socio-economic backgrounds. Provision of equal educational opportunities to all is a fundamental principle on which a truly democratic society can be built up. It is an article of faith with us today. As a matter of fact, there is a considerable variation in access to pre-primary education among children between 3 to 6 years of age with diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Children belonging to marginalised groups in society, particularly girls, depend on government pre-primary schools (Anganwadi centres), whereas those belonging to higher socio-economic groups are more likely to attending private kindergarten or play schools. The prevailing educational backwardness of large section of our children is a matter of grave concern. There is an immediate need to reduce gaps that exist between the children in the villages and those in the towns and between the children in poor homes and those who are born in the richer ones.
It was Froebel, a German educationist, who laid the foundations for modern education systems based on the recognition that children have unique needs and capabilities. Froebel envisioned a place where 4 to 6 year old children would be nurtured and protected from outside influences as such he founded a Kindergarten school at Blackenberg in 1837 which was the beginning of the pre-primary education. In India, besides Froebel’s Kindergarten system, Nursery system and Montessori system also provide the pre-primary education especially to the children of well to do families. All these schools are individual and voluntary. Being the only-caterer to in this field of education, private schooling in India has expanded rapidly in the past three decades. Dissatisfaction with performance of government schools in providing quality pre-primary education is an important driving force behind the advocacy for private schools. Private schools in India are mostly self-financed. Since they are privately funded, they have better equipment than government schools. Their student teacher ratio is much better as well and they usually also offer co-curricular activities, such as games and sports, excursions, music and drama classes, smart classes and club activities adding to the burden of ambitious parents. With their over-prized textbooks and fancy uniforms, they produce students with improved memory power and less creativity. Therefore, we need government intervention not just to build standard pre-primary and primary schools for kids but also to check in the practices the private schools are undertaking.
As a matter of fact, the government needs to invest in an improvement of quality of services in pre-school education, which will improve the learning achievement of children at pre-primary stage. Children are the foundation of sustainable growth and development. So there is a need for education during this period in order to assist them in making proper development and preparing for future life. The formative development in the first few years of life plays a vital role in building human capital, breaking the cycle of poverty, promoting economic productivity and eliminating social disparities and inequalities.
The early years of life are crucial not only for individual health and physical development, but also for cognitive, social and emotional development! Pre-primary education is psychological, social and educational necessity. The importance of pre-primary schools should be realized and the responsibility that rests on a country and society in relation to pre-primary schools, Pre-primary is that stage of education which leaves its mark on the entire life. But the government has always been apathetic in this sphere. Until Government schools meet families’ needs and cater for each individual child, can you blame people for putting their hands in their pocket?
(The Author is a Lecturer in Education)
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