Chandigarh: Dr. Baljit Kaur, Punjab's Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development, today launched the "Aarambh" program, aimed at enhancing early childhood education. The program was launched in the presence of Social Security Woman and Child Development Special Chief Secretary Mrs. Raji P. Shrivastava and Director Dr. Shena Aggarwal.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Kaur emphasized that the "Aarambh" initiative is designed to focus on the holistic development of young children attending Anganwadi centers. By involving parents and communities, the program aims to elevate the standard of early childhood education provided in these centers.
The Minister highlighted that the "Aarambh" project is grounded in the key principles of the National Education Policy 2020 and aligns with national initiatives like the foundational "Aadharshila" and "Poshan bhi Padhai bhi" training curriculum introduced by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and NIPCCD.
Dr. Kaur elaborated that Rocket Learning, a social enterprise focused on foundational and early education, has partnered with Punjab for this initiative. Rocket Learning utilizes innovative strategies and technology to empower educators, students and parents, ensuring effective educational experiences for children aged 3 to 6 years. Early childhood education is crucial, she noted, as it significantly impacts cognitive development, with 85% of a child's brain development occurring by the age of six.
She stated that the recognizing this critical period, "Aarambh" is set to provide a nurturing and play-based learning environment for children, with active participation from parents and Anganwadi workers. The program aims to foster comprehensive development through engaging activities.
Dr. Kaur further explained that the "Aarambh" program will employ a hybrid approach, combining traditional and digital interventions to maintain parental engagement, awareness and correct behavior. This initiative will focus on all Anganwadi centers across Punjab, with support from district offices and community partnerships. The activities provided to parents and educators will be aligned with the state's curriculum, ensuring they are easy to implement at home while promoting cognitive, pre-literacy, pre-numeracy, social-emotional and fine and gross motor skills in children.
She further said by focusing on building active and sustained engagement among Anganwadi workers and parents through simple, scalable and easy-to-access technology, the program aims to enhance trust within Anganwadi centers, improve parental behaviors and achieve better learning outcomes for children.