NCERT shares concern over preschool norms

Indian education system has been through a long transformation right from Gurukul days to virtual learning but whatever may be the trend there has always been a growing demand for certified and qualified teachers. In order to modify the system and upgrade to a better and effective one, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) shared concern over preschool norms with the state governments and stated some criteria for nursery education.

As per the NCERT report, the minimum age for admission to nursery classes has been set at three years. It also suggested that the admission process should not include any kind of evaluation or interaction. For teachers, the requirement has been set at passing class XII and holding a diploma in preschool education. The teacher to child ratio has also been revised and should be 1:25; also the duration of the nursery programme is to be fixed at four hours as mentioned in the document. The guidelines also lay down the basic infrastructure that preschools should have. This will create a huge demand for qualified and trained Early Educators in the coming days.

The mentioned criteria in the said proposal are sure to bring about a boost in the teacher education arena as well as more aspirants are willing to pursue a career in the field of pre and primary, Montessori or Nursery. As the profession requires a passion for teaching young kids, it also requires the qualifications, and with NCERT sharing the prerequisite for preschool education, the demand is expected to rise and reach an all-time high. More aspiring educators are choosing a career in preschool teaching gradually and the number is expected to increase with more people opting for diploma courses. They can also choose to go for a specialised course as well, as the curriculum for the first and second year of preschool, the schools must ensure that children maintain good health, become effective communicators and connect with their immediate environment.