THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of efforts to unify early childhood education and care in the state, the departments of general education and women and child development will soon jointly roll out a framework for all institutions providing pre-schooling. With this, every institution providing pre-school education to children -- kindergartens, nurseries, etc -- will come under one umbrella with a common title, proper certifications, teacher qualifications, and inspections.
Acting on a recent High Court directive to issue guidelines in that regard, the officials concerned have said that the draft will be prepared within a month and the framework implemented from the next academic year.
“Institutions have been working under various titles -- nursery, pre-school, kindergarten-- without even proper monitoring. With the new guidelines coming into effect, these institutions will have to register themselves with the government, thereby facilitating better monitoring,” a top official with the general education department said.
Even the age group of the children in these institutions varies from as much as six months to six years, which could have several consequences. All these will be addressed in the new framework, he added.
“As of now, neither the general education department nor the women and child development department issues any permission for these to function. Anyone can start a nursery, as they only need a certificate from the local self-government department,” the official said.
Comprehensive reforms are in the pipeline, as the guidelines propose to check the teachers’ qualifications, infrastructure, school ambience, building fitness, drinking water availability, waste management, and first aid provisions before allowing pre-schools to become functional.
Sources also said that such facilities will have an inspection before the commencement of the next academic year, and periodic inspections thereafter.
The High Court, in November, had asked the departments to issue these guidelines while considering a public interest litigation. Observing that another directive on the same lines was issued in 2021, the court said the framework must be made public at the earliest.