Early childhood care in NEP: A slip between draft and policy

The towering edifice of education is impressively outlined in the National Education Policy-2020 but its foundation is not on strong pillars. Unfortunately, it equates building knowledgeable, skilled human resource to mere formal schooling or college education. It has a faulty assumption that all learning starts with formal schooling.

There was not a single specialist in child development, paediatric neurologist or child psychologist in the drafting panel of the NEP. No wonder NEP glaringly displays its ignorance on when and how the human brain grows structurally and what needs to be done as interventions strategically during the critical window period of neuronal multiplication and networking. Learning starts from the womb when human brain structure is laid down and reaches its acceleration before two years of age, much before the 3-6 years of pre-school education.

The draft version of NEP-2019 which was uploaded in the public domain had a much better understanding of Early Childhood Care and Stimulation for Development. But the final document, omitting many revolutionary concepts of the draft and suggestions from civil society, was hurriedly approved by the Cabinet without getting it vetted by Parliament or state legislatures.

The very first sentence in the draft version was a hitherto less known fact that “the learning process for a child commences immediately at birth” as opposed to the popular belief that child starts learning only when admitted in formal school.

The actual learning of language, numerical and arithmetic proficiency and analytical skills are attained during school days. But the foundations for such a learning capacity are laid much earlier, and it happens without us knowing about it.

Intellectual development and attainment of maximum potential of senses have taken place before three years of age. Higher cognitive functions attain their maximum peak of growth between one and three years of age even before they meet any teacher in a school. Opening statement had reinforced this modern concept.

The first chapter of current NEP starts with lip service to early childhood education: “The Policy emphasises the criticality of the early years and aims to ensure quality early childhood care and education for all children between three and six years by 2025 with significantly increased investment and new initiatives. A curricular and pedagogical framework will be developed with guidelines for appropriate cognitive stimulation of 0-3 year-olds”.

That means the Policy envisages only age above three years for early childhood care and education and below three as merely issuing guidelines. For whom? Parents or caregivers in crèches and Balwadis?

The current global thinking is to focus on the first 1,000 days of life including intrauterine period of 280 days for optimal brain development. The age between three and six years is too late for intervention to boost human development potential of a nation.

Scientific research shows that a child’s peak of potential growth of intelligence and cognitive development has already been achieved between the age of one and three. After rapid multiplication of brain cells, in the areas of visual and auditory cortex, the formation of experience-dependent synapses (connections) peaks as early as the fourth post-natal month, and is followed by a gradual retraction if not adequately stimulated until the end of the pre-school period.

Similarly, the centres for language and speech proficiency develop maximally between sixth and 10th months of age even before their speech and language make any sense to you. When the child is a toddler, her spoken vocabulary significantly increases.

Genetic determinants and environmental determinants play equally critical role in shaping the neural configuration. The post-natal synapses incorporate ongoing experiences into the synaptic architecture of the brain through a process of “blooming and pruning”. Some of these environmental determinants act as modifying gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms.

Future brains

So what is there in NEP to contribute to growth and development of future brains of our country up to three years to get educated and skilled? Vague or practically nothing? The earlier draft had rightly differentiated the early childhood education into two parts - one prior to three years and the other 3-6 years of age. The latter is what is going on currently as pre-school education in anganwadi centres.

Policy directions and strategies for care and early stimulation for child development known as “care concept” is already lacking in ICDS since its inception in 1975. The entire responsibility of early child care and stimulation for development of under-three children is left to the discretion and imagination of parents and rest of the family members even in NEP.

Stimulation for brain and mind is by inputs or signals through five sensory organs of the body - eye, skin, ear, nose and tongue. The intensity and frequency of flow of these signals during early childhood determines the attainment of level of intelligence and mental development. It also strengthens the synaptic connectivity. The baby’s explorative learning and storage of those acquired information and knowledge or inputs into the brain takes place every moment and hour of its early life without any teacher or school.

The only way out for “universalisation” of standardised care is appointment of an additional worker trained in early stimulation for child development in every Anganwadi for under three children? Let the Anganwadi teacher take care of pre-school education of 3-6 years old. That requires a salary component for 8-9 lakh workers in the country which is a worthwhile investment considering the impact on learning outcome and human resource development.

By the 86th Amendment of the Constitution 2002, the state is to provide early childhood and elementary education (ECCE) to all children till six years of age. Section 11 of the Right to Education Act also mandates public provision of the ECCE.

“Early Childhood Care and Stimulation for Education and Development is perhaps the greatest and most powerful equaliser in brain development, school preparedness, improved learning outcomes, equality and justice, employability and economic growth of the country” was the text in the draft that has disappeared now in NEP.

(The writer is former Health & Nutrition Specialist, Unicef, and former Director, State Health Resource Centre, Chhattisgarh)