Early childhood education is set for a major overhaul, with the Centre releasing fresh guidelines to co-locate Anganwadi Centres with primary schools, aiming to create seamless learning pathways for children.
Unveiled jointly by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, the framework calls for joint planning by teachers and Anganwadi workers, curriculum alignment, and the creation of child-friendly spaces.
While nearly 2.9 lakh of India’s 14 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) are already located on school premises, officials admitted that coordination between schools and Anganwadis had long lacked a standard mechanism. “These guidelines have been prepared to create a proper system so that states and Union Territories can adopt uniform practices,” a senior WCD official said.
The framework offers two models, physical co-location of Anganwadis inside schools with adequate space and facilities, or mapping of Anganwadis to nearby schools where direct integration is not feasible. Key requirements include separate entry and exit points for younger children, kitchens for mid-day meals, dedicated play areas, and child-friendly toilets.
Monthly coordination meetings, joint events such as ECCE Days and ‘Praveshotsav’, and reconciliation of child data are mandated to smoothen the transition to Grade 1. Officials stressed that pre-school curriculum would be aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022, with tools like Jaadui Pitara and Aadharshila Curriculum recommended to promote play-based learning.
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The guidelines also ask states to prioritise Anganwadis lacking proper buildings or serving tribal, migrant and economically weaker communities. “Our attempt is to align the Gross Enrolment Ratio and the Net Enrolment Ratio so that children of the appropriate age are in the right class,” another senior official explained.
Technology will underpin the plan. Databases such as Poshan Tracker and UDISE+ are to be made interoperable, while the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR ID) may eventually cover children from the age of three. “We are in discussions with UIDAI so that a unique number given at birth can help track a child throughout their education journey,” the official added.
Language and pedagogy form another focus area. “We are trying to ensure children receive foundational education in the language they speak at home. Alongside, we are mapping every play and activity to specific competencies,” the official said.
Officials cautioned, however, that rolling out these guidelines would be the real test. “We already have 2.9 lakh co-located Anganwadis, and many more can be integrated with the 9 lakh-plus schools that have class 1. Where co-location is not possible, centres will be mapped with nearby schools to prevent dropouts during the transition,” the official remarked.
The new system, the government believes, will optimise resources, reduce dropouts and improve learning outcomes, addressing long-standing gaps in the country’s early childhood care and education system.
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