Govt prepares draft policy on quality of care at play schools

The government has prepared a draft policy for regulating the quality of care and education provided to children at play schools and creches across the country.
The National Early Childhood Care and Education (NECCE) policy proposes setting up of a national council to establish guidelines for the standardisation of teaching and learning aids, trained manpower, sanitation and hygiene norms etc in these play schools and day care centres.
It will specify the minimum qualification required to be teachers at such centres and all the centres have to be registered with the government under this policy.
It also includes setting up penal provisions in case of non-compliance of these guidelines.

The proposal is likely to come up in the Cabinet tomorrow.
According to the Women and Child Development Ministry officials, these centres charge lot of money from the parents but none monitors what kind of services they provide to children under six years of age.
An appropriate environment and various other factors affect the overall development of a child, officials said.
This national policy is targeted at 158.7 million children below six years.