Block Education Officers (BEO) in the district are in the process of prevailing upon individuals and trusts running unauthorised nursery, primary and playschools to speed up the process of securing recognition.
Earlier this year, the district administration urged parents to exercise caution in admitting their wards in such institutions by releasing the list of authorised and unauthorised schools. Only 16 of the 117 playschools in the district were found to have obtained the necessary permission. Notices were served on the remaining schools during May.
However, since the list was released after completion of the admission process, the playschools were permitted to secure recognition without further loss of time.
“On receipt of the applications routed through the BEOs, District Education Officers carry out inspection and grant approval,” Chief Educational Officer S. Shanthi said. DEOs in the educational districts of Tiruchi, Manapparai, Musiri and Lalgudi have compiled the list of approved institutions, she said.
As per the revised regulations for playschools framed by the State Government in 2015, existing schools that do not fulfil the required norms will face closure. There are, however, certain rules considered unrealistic by parents. For instance, the institutions are required to comply with the regulation of admitting only those children residing within a one km radius.
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) requires that young children be provided care, opportunities and experiences that lead to their all-round development — physical, mental, social and emotional, and school readiness. The curriculum framework and pedagogy for ECCE has been based on this holistic perspective, taking into account the various domains of development, the characteristics of children at each sub-stage and their learning needs in terms of experiences.
Accordingly, playing, music, rhyming, art and other activities using local materials, along with opportunities for speaking, listening and expressing themselves, and informal interaction are essential components of learning at this stage. While appreciating the components, educationists say more discussions are required on the syllabus for holistic development of toddlers and pre-schoolers.
For the time being, the School Education Department is particular in ensuring that the playschools are functioning in buildings approved under the Tamil Nadu Public Building (Licensing) Act, besides determining whether the institutions have received certificates for stability, sanitation and fire-readiness.
