Javaid Naikoo
Early Times Report
Srinagar , May 13
With an intention to provide integrated services for the overall development of children up to the age group of six years, General Administration department (GAD) in its fresh circular has ordered to
‘Re-constitute’ general council for implementation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy in Jammu and Kashmir. According to an order number 651-GAD of 2015 dated 12/05/2015,the
government ordered sanction to the re-constitution of the general council for implementation of ECCE policy in Jammu and Kashmir with the Composition as the Minister for social Welfare as its President
and Minister of state as Vice President with eight other members to make the programme successful.
As per details ECCE policy will cover all early childhood care and education programmes in the State which include Anganwadi centers (AWC), crèches Schools, play schools, pre-schooling Schools,
pre-nursery schools, kindergartens, preparatory schools and home-based care and policy envisages the establishment of an ECCE division within the Ministry of Women & Child Development as the nodal agency for interface, both at national and state levels, for inter-sectoral coordination.
According to guidelines of the policy, keeping in 158.7 million children in the 0-6 age group as per the 2011 Census, the policy focuses on re-structuring the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and integrating early childhood education with the Right to Education Act to ensure a smooth transition into formal schooling of Children below seven year age group. Educationists believe that the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) which came into effect from April 1,
2010, has also addressed ECCE under Section 11 of the Act. They said that it helps to prepare children above the age of three years for elementary education and to provide early childhood care
besides education for all children until they complete the age of six years and believe that ECCE will help in the overall development of the children at elementary level.
Pertinently many schemes are already there for over all benefit of children particularly in education sector and at a time when educationists believe that this is an integrated programme which will
universalise the provision of ECCE for all children mainly through ICDS in public sector and other service provisions across system, However implementation of national schemes to benefit children in
government sectors has so far remained dismal in Jammu and Kashmir. According to GAD Guidelines other members of the general council will be Administrative Secretary, Planning and development department as Vice-member, Administrative Secretary, health and Medical education
department as member, Administrative Secretary, Social Welfare department as vice-president (executive), Administrative Secretary, School education department as member, Administrative Secretary, Rural development department and Panchayat Raj as member, Mission director,
ICDS J&K as member and Director Finance, Social Welfare department as member. The Council would be the apex body to guide and oversee the implementation of the National ECCE Policy as well as advice and guide of ECCE programmes.
In Previous National conference (NC) and congress coalition government, it was Lone female NC Minister, Sakina Itoo who acted as the head of general council for ECCE in Jammu and Kashmir when ECCE was constituted.
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