Respected Ma'am, 
We, the Early Childhood Association are one of the largest non-profit organisation in Early Childhood Care and Education, committed to quality care for children from birth to 6 years, which is 13% of India’s population. We humbly present our online petition requesting your Ministry/Organisation to consider introducing a process of consultation with Early Childhood Association (which includes ECCE Practitioners and educators as nationwide members) before formulating the safety regulations for quality care and education from birth to six years. A similar process of consultation was successfully adopted by the Ministry of HRD (Govt. of India) during the draft formation of the new National Education Policy. Our young children are our future generation and we need to ensure their safety, proper growth and development in these fast changing times.

Article 45 of the 86th Constitutional Amendment recognizes the crucial role of quality pre-school education stating, "The State shall endeavor to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years."

Also The National ECCE Policy 2013 states that the policy recognizes that young children are best cared for in their family environment but in a country of widespread diversity and stratification many families need supportive measures for the optimal development of the child. The policy thus acknowledges multiple models of ECCE service delivery which could go by the nomenclature of AWC, crèches, playgroups, playschools, pre schools, nursery schools, kindergartens, preparatory schools, balwadis, home based care etc. The Curriculum Framework of the National Policy on ECCE states that - Suggestive Developmentally Appropriate/Age appropriate Activities for ECCE – For Children Under 3 years

Focus on health, nutrition, and early psychosocial stimulation through free play and a lot of adult child interaction. E.g., (infant games, traditional songs & syllables, access to variety of play materials, individualized adult attention and interaction, opportunities to explore, early introduction to stories, infant books, drawings etc.) in safe, spacious and clean environment.

Keeping the above in mind we urge the government, government agencies and policy makers to acknowledge the right to quality care and education for all children in all Indian states from birth to six years.

1.    While drafting safety regulations / guidelines to do with quality, safety and registration we urge the government to ensure that requisite arrangements are made for the birth to three years age group too thus avoiding any dilemma in the minds of educators, parents and others that children below the age of three years are not entitled to quality professional care based on play at crèches, daycares, balwadis, anganwadis and playschools.

2.    Quality professional play environments based on care for the birth to three age group, benefits both the stimulation required for crucial brain development and a support to working parents.  Countries around the world divide the care for this age group under crèche (birth to 3 years) and kindergarten (3 to 5 years).

3.    We urge the government to ensure that the same definition is also applicable in all Indian states, namely –

a.    Birth to three years should be care with play based stimulation either at daycares, crèches, balwadis, anganwadis and playschools

b.    And for three to six years it can be play based education at preschools, kindergartens, anganwadis and balwadis.

4.    There should be an inclusion of the right to autonomy as far as pedagogy is concerned. It is important not to lose out innovation and individualization, in the interest of standardization.

As a committed association in ECCE, we would like to support your efforts and request you to consider our kind participation in the process of developing the safety regulatory formalities.

We can be contacted on ecaorg@yahoo.com.

Yours Sincerely,
Early Childhood Association India

URL : www.eca-india.org