Page 3 - ISSUES AND DIRECTIONS.pmd

Issues and Directions in ECCE

paid. Most of the ECCE centres are overcrowded and have only one teacher
in each class.

Notes
5.1.4 Teaching Learning Process

Teaching learning process in ECCE centres must be play and activity based.
However, most centres adopt formal teaching methods, especially in the private
sectors. Such methods provide very less scope for children to ask questions,
experiment, explore and participate. Thus, making children only a passive
recipient of information being provided by the teacher curbs their imagination
and creative thinking skills.

Children learn best in their mother tongue. Despite knowing this, most ECCE
centres use English to teach and interact with children. Due to this, children
hardly find the opportunity to interact and express themselves freely.

Huge, boring and age- inappropriate homework provided by the preschools that
burdens children is another significant issue. Children become pressurised and
this practice robs the freedom of a child at home. Sometimes, this pressure is
transferred to the parents as well.

Most ECCE centres do not follow appropriate assessment procedures for
assessing children and their progress is invariably recorded through standardized
tests and interviews.

5.1.5 The Curriculum

The curriculum consists of all kinds of experiences planned to be organised
for young children keeping in mind their characteristics, needs and development.
Presently, there is no set curriculum for ECCE. However, Ministry of Women
and Child Development (MWCD) has developed a curriculum framework for
ECCE which places children at the centre of teaching learning process and has
suggested the play way approach for organising learning experiences of young
children. Despite the availability of such guidelines, most ECCE centres are
still struggling to align their pedagogy with this curriculum framework.

5.1.6 Inclusion and Gender Equality

Inclusion and gender equality are issues which need to be addressed at an early
stage of life. An inclusive preschool environment consists of an equitable and
respectable environment for all children despite the existing differences among
them. This kind of environment is essential for children to develop positive self-
identities and a sense of belongingness. Also, formation of gender identity
develops during the early childhood period. The teachers are generally not
aware or trained to handle gender and inclusion issues during this period.

66 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION