By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: According to the Annual Status of Education Report 2019, enrolment of 3 to 4-year children in Anganwadis in the state is as low as 23.9%. While some parents opt for private pre-schools, training and infrastructure in the low-budget pre-schools is also far from adequate. Due to these challenges, learning levels among young children have remained low, with only one-fourth of first-graders in the state being able to read at grade level. 10.9% are unable to recognise letters, a basic pre-reading skill.
A new initiative which will benefit around 60,000 young children in Meghalaya is set to be launched by Sesame Workshop India, SBI Life Insurance and SBI Foundation. ‘Learn, Play, Grow’ will aim to strengthen the quality of early education in 3,000 Anganwadis in the state.
The Anganwadi network under the aegis of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), is the primary provider of pre-school services to children.
The network is now looking at strengthening its ability to deliver high-quality early education by focusing on infrastructure and staff training.
Challenges to the network in the North East include the remoteness and the overall lack of community awareness of the need for early education.
The team will partner with the ICDS and local NGOs to bridge this gap by supporting 3000 Anganwadis with high-quality educational content for children and caregivers, capacity building and teacher training and resources to empower parents and caregivers with fun ways to support a child’s educational development.
Speaking about the initiative, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said through this project, the government will be supporting measures to ensure that the continuum of education is maintained not just in schools but also when kids are at home.
