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Early Childhood Care and Education : Meaning and Significance

erstwhile Bombay, now Mumbai. Here, children from different backgrounds learnt
through activities and real-life experiences.
Notes The Montessori Method founded by Maria Montessori is an approach to preschool
education. It has had a profound influence on the lives of young children all over
the world. It is intended to support the natural development of children in a well-
prepared environment.

The writings of great Indian educational thinkers such as Mahatma Gandhi,
Rabindranath Tagore and Zakir Hussain have also drawn attention to the care
and education of children during the formative years of life. They opined that
education to children must be imparted in their mother tongue and should be
closely connected to their social and cultural environment and the community in
which children and their family live.
At present, ECCE services in India are made available through public, private
and non-governmental organizations. The Government of India has made
significant contributions to improve the accessibility and quality of education
provided to young children. In 1975, Integrated Child Development Services
(ICDS) Scheme was launched by Government of India to address health, nutrition
and the development needs of children under six years. It is a unique and an
integrated programme for early childhood care and development. It also
encompasses the care of pregnant women and lactating mothers.

In recent years, the focus on ECCE in the Five Year Plans and formulation of the
National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy, 2013 in India has further
opened opportunities of access to quality care and early education by young
children.

Private un-aided ECCE centres such as nurseries, kindergartens and pre-primary
sections in private schools also deliver preschool education in the country,
especially in urban areas. In addition, several NGOs have also been conducting
the ECCE programmes.

1.6 ECCE IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT

The importance of ECCE has been recognized globally as well. It started in 1989
with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which
is an international agreement for child rights. It intended to protect and promote
the wellbeing of children in terms of their survival, health, education and protection.

The World Conference on Education for All held in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990
emphasized that ‘learning begins at birth’ and promoted early care and education
as a must that needs to be provided through the involvement of families and
communities.
In addition, the World Education Forum held in Dakar, Senegal in April 2000
also reiterated the importance of ECCE. It reaffirmed that education is a

8 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION