TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
THE CONTEXT: The National Framework of Early Childhood Stimulation 2024, titled ‘Navchetana’, emphasizes the critical importance of early childhood learning, beginning from birth to the age of three.
EXPLANATION:
- This framework aims to guide parents, anganwadi staff, and ASHA workers in conducting age-appropriate activities to stimulate children’s development across various domains.
- The framework document has been developed by an internal committee comprising representatives from key ministries and organizations, including the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Education, and civil society organizations.
- Titled ‘Navchetana’, the curriculum aligns with the principles of the National Education Policy 2020, emphasizing a continuum of learning.
- To facilitate the successful implementation of the curriculum, staff in 14 lakh anganwadis will undergo training on the activities outlined in the framework.
- This training aims to equip caregivers with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage children effectively in stimulating activities that promote holistic development.
- The activity-based curriculum emphasizes various forms of engagement, including talking, playing, moving, listening to music, and sensory stimulation.
- These activities are designed to target developmental milestones across different domains, such as early language, emergent literacy, and numeracy.
- The framework underscores the critical period of the first three years of a child’s life, during which 75% of brain development occurs.
- It provides detailed information on the importance of early brain development and offers step-by-step instructions for caregivers and frontline workers on conducting stimulating activities.
Implementation Strategies:
- Caregivers are encouraged to actively engage with children by capturing their attention, communicating effectively, and responding to their cues.
- The curriculum advocates for introducing age-appropriate play activities, following the child’s lead, and providing positive reinforcement to encourage learning and exploration.
Age-Specific Activities:
- The curriculum comprises 36 sets of activities tailored to children from birth to 36 months.
- These activities evolve over time to align with the child’s developmental stage and include simple tasks such as reaching for objects, imitating sounds, and more complex activities like sorting objects and identifying colors.
Identification of Developmental Delays:
- One of the key objectives of the framework is to enable early detection of developmental delays.
- Caregivers are trained to recognize signs of delay and adapt activities accordingly, ensuring that children receive appropriate support and intervention as needed.
Anganwadi:
- Anganwadi is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the States / UTs which serves as a rural child and maternal care centre in India.
- It was started by the Government of India In 1975 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program to combat child hunger and malnutrition.
- Anganwadi centres provide a package of six services: supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, immunisation, health check-up, nutrition and health education, and referral services.
- The beneficiaries under the Anganwadi Services Scheme are identified on the basis of Aadhaar.