Anganwadi workers oppose pre-primary classes in government schools
Submit memorandum to the district programme officer demanding that children between 3-6 years should be sent to Anganwadi centres
Over 100 Anganwadi workers submitted a memorandum to the district programme officer under the department of women and child development at the Shimapuri office demanding that children between 3-6 years should be sent to Anganwadi centres.
Anganwadi workers staged an agitation outside the office of district programme officer and said that the government can start pre-primary classes in anganwadis as there is already an existing setup there.
The workers gathered outside the Shimlapuri office and discussed the problems faced by them during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under Bachpan Bachao and integrated child development services (ICDS), Anganwadi workers all over the country submitted a memorandum to programme officers of the women and child department and also sent an email to Union minister Smriti Irani requesting her to ask the state government to stop enrolling children between 3 to 6 years in government schools so that they can be sent to Anganwadi centres.
The workers allege that in the last two years, the state education department has come up with pre-primary classes in government schools and enrolling children between the age group of 3 to 6 years due to which the student strength at Anganwadi centres has been decreasing.
Punjab Anganwadi Mulazam Union general secretary, Subhash Rani, said, “We have written to the Union minister to intervene in the matter. Children below 6 years must be enrolled in Anganwadi centers instead of government schools. For the last many years, Anganwadi workers and helpers have been taking care of their nutrition and daycare and now we want the state government should stop enrolling children in this age group in government schools.”
Under the new education policy, the universalisation of early childhood care and education is a great step, but the government should not privatise it.
The aim should be at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and well-being.