Preschool Education in India
“Preschool education program in India was initiated by two individuals called ‘Tarabai Modak‘ and ‘Gijubhai Badheka‘ passionate about early childhood education and preschool concept in India has now lots of preschool and kindergarten institutes around India focusing on childcare concept..”
Basics of Preschool Program
Movement in India by ‘Tarabai Modak’
Smt. Tarabai Modak made outstanding contribution to the emergence of preschool in India. The preschool education started by Smt. Tarabai Modak came to be known as Balwadis, Smt. Tarabai Modak, rightly called as the ‘Montemon’s Mother has made a significant contribution to pre-school education in India. She was of the view that in urban areas pre-schoool should preferably be located in slum areas. In the rural areas the first choice must be given to children to be cared, the childcare committee is of the opinion that normal unit of a pre-school should be of 25-40 children.
In organizing balwadi, three items need special attention:
Contribution to Preschool in India by ‘Gijubhai Badheka’
He was born on 15th November 1855, in a village in Gujarat (India). He developed his own system of educating children. He was a lawyer by profession. He was disgusted to see he children treated badly by their parents and teachers. So he left his practice and became a teacher. He recorded his experiments in one of his books “DIVA SWAPN” which means “Enlightenment towards knowledge” written in native tongue Gujarati. Gijubhai Badeka did not get recognition during his lifetime.
He believed in children’s right to freedom. He discarded physical punishment and believed that learning is possible only in the environment of love and sympathy. He wrote over 100 books for children and many more for teachers and guardians. Hence, he was reffered to as “Mustachioed mother of ECCE”.
Tarabhai Modak being inspired by Gijubhai work joined him in 1923 at Bhavnagar. They worked together from 1923 to 1932 to lay the foundations of pre-primary education in India. They introduced numerous low cost educational aids and apparatus. They wrote and published stories, rhymes and certain songs, which children could dramatize. They started Shikshan Patrika to create awareness among parents, society and others. In 1926, they formed Nutan Blashikshan Sangh, which became the fountainhead for ideas in promoting ECCE and started Balwadis. They campaigned for children’s education throughout, India specially Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Latest Preschool Trends in India
Many reputed institutes, NGO’s and companies are towards early childhood education program. Some known brands for kindergarten and ECCE are Tree House, EuroKids etc specialized in pre-primary and nursery courses. We will update more on same soon.