NECCE and NFECS

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched the NECCE and NFECS, including a National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education for Children from Three to Six Years and a National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation for Children from Birth to Three Years.

About NECCE and NFECS

• These initiatives are in line with the objectives set forth in the National Education Policy 2020.
• The documents have been prepared by the National Institute for Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), with the support of an Internal Committee and development partners.
  • The NIPCCD is an Indian government agency that promotes voluntary action, training, research, and documentation in the areas of women empowerment and child development.
  • It is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• NIPCCD will lead the training of Anganwadi functionaries on the new Curriculum and Framework.

About NECCE 2024:

• The NECCE 2024 encompasses all developmental domains, as outlined in the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage 2022 (NCF-FS).
• These domains include physical/motor, cognitive, language and literacy, socioemotional, cultural/aesthetic, as well as fostering positive habits, catering to children aged three to six.
• Aim: To improve the quality of ECCE transacted at the Anganwadi Centre by prioritizing competency-based lesson plans and activities, presented in a simple and user-friendly manner.
• It focuses on how children learn during their early years, emphasizing playful and joy-based learning approaches to prepare them for primary school.
• The curriculum offers 36 weeks of active learning, 8 weeks of reinforcement, and 4 weeks of initiation.
  • Each week includes 5 days of play-based learning plus an extra day for enrichment activities, with three activity blocks per day.
• It provides for a combination of activities, including in-centre and at-home, indoor and outdoor, child-led and educator-led etc.
• Special focus has been given for the screening, inclusion and referrals of Divyang children in every activity.
• Community engagement has been facilitated through monthly ECCE days and a continuum of home learning activities for each week.

About NFECS 2024:

• The National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation 2024 targets caregivers and Anganwadi Workers to provide holistic early stimulation for children aged birth to three years.
• This includes responsive caregiving and early learning opportunities to support optimal physical and cognitive development.
• Aim: To equip Anganwadi Workers with essential knowledge about children’s growth and development, emphasizing the significance of brain development and the importance of nurturing care.
• It focuses on the principles of serve and return, caregiver’s three acts: love, talk, play, and positive guidance.
• Screening, inclusion and referrals for Divyang children are provided special focus.

Ref:Source