• NET Web Desk

In a bid to strengthen the educational scenario along the northeastern state of Meghalaya and stressing on implementing holistic approach towards all round development of children, the state Social Welfare Department is gearing-up to align the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) curriculum with National Education Policy (NEP).

The same has been informed during a workshop hosted at Asian Confluence, Laitumkhrah in Shillong.

Organized by the Office of the Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Department, in collaboration with Sesame Workshop India – a educational Non-Profit Organization (NGO), SBI Foundation and SBI Life, the workshop aimed to review the ECCE curriculum.

The consultative workshop is part of the State Government’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Mission.

Attended by several government & non-governmental stakeholders, the workshop addressed visions for early childhood development in Meghalaya, and therefore proposed an age-wise curriculum with goals, competence, thematic integration, and group work.

Speaking at the workshop, the Principal Secretary of Meghalaya Government, Sampath Kumar asserted that the northeastern state is probably the first and only state across the nation which initiated an ECD mission.

ECD Mission is a multidisciplinary, research based approach which serves for the holistic development of children, with an intent to overcome poverty and inter-generational gap.

During the consultative workshop, the managing trustee of Sesame Workshop speaking further about the significance of integrating play-based approach with ECCE curriculum, asserted “We are delighted to partner with the department of social welfare, Government of Meghalaya to review the ECCE curriculum. We hope to integrate a play-based approach to the existing ECCE curriculum so that it becomes more robust and aligned with National Education Policy 2020.”

Its worthy to note that Sesame Workshop India in the year 2020 launched the Learn Play Grow initiative in 2020, with immense support from SBI Foundation and SBI Life. The initiative aimed to strengthen ECCE in the state.