tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653685500337586742024-02-19T08:04:10.237-08:00The MavErickA DraftCraft International ProjectUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-75528173748687748682020-04-08T08:30:00.000-07:002020-04-21T05:33:27.404-07:00Untrained Pre-School Tutors ‘Judge’, Ruin Child’s Chances<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Manu Shrivastava</b></i><br />
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When four-year-old Fizan Khan from Mumbai found it difficult to identify and write English alphabets despite going to a playschool, nursery and tuition classes in Mumbai for about two years, his family got worried. It was time for him to take admission in a primary school and the stress only mounted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFHjV9lerZMznLBnxDXab01e9CCTrRhhsXXlYzA-RRazFnSckoaR_yFaX0HVRPoznTVzQLTQobW1Hi1RLrKgkvKDBVGRgH59pVOOqY0O1WxxNkNRYOohNmqY5tTKV3Qvmt2yko7AAPQOW/s1600/Child1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="700" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFHjV9lerZMznLBnxDXab01e9CCTrRhhsXXlYzA-RRazFnSckoaR_yFaX0HVRPoznTVzQLTQobW1Hi1RLrKgkvKDBVGRgH59pVOOqY0O1WxxNkNRYOohNmqY5tTKV3Qvmt2yko7AAPQOW/s640/Child1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These formative years of a child’s life before he starts going to primary school are <br />very critical as they begin to absorb every thing they see around them</td></tr>
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The playschool, predictably, shrugged all responsibility saying it wasn’t their job to teach the child as playschools are only for ‘fun-filled and creative activities’, despite charging hefty fees in the name of preparing children for admissions to primary schools.<br />
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Fizan is an extremely intelligent boy with a sharp mind, immense curiosity and extraordinary skills but he is not able to identify alphabets that well, probably because of the disdain sparked by the senseless scolding at school and back home.<br />
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Instead of taking the child to a specialist tutor or being patient with him, the family – swayed by peer pressures and bias - decided to put him through rigorous tuitions and study sessions from ‘untrained’ teachers to ensure he performs well in the ‘good’ school adding to the pressure.<br />
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Now, Fizan is on the brink of a ‘schooling’ process and will, sadly, start with a disadvantage. He is already judged for being unable to write certain alphabets even before having started school. Judged by untrained ‘tuition teachers’ and ill-informed ‘well-wishers’ those who have little or no idea about pre-school education.<br />
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These formative years of a child’s life before he starts going to primary school are very critical as they begin to absorb every thing they see around them. This affects the child’s development – physical, emotional, social and cognitive.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-26810233807336066992020-04-07T08:34:00.001-07:002020-04-21T05:34:19.350-07:00Social Media Poses Grave Risk For Children<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Mamta Gupta</b></i><br />
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Social Media is the new ‘evil’. Despite its many benefits and advantages, the perils and risks of social media keep drawing attention. Social media is everywhere and used by almost everyone capable of using a smartphone. And now, social media is widely used by predators and paedophiles who target young, innocent children. There is a pressing need to address the situation and ensure children are safe in the confines of their homes and schools.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both children and parents must be aware of the perils of social networking sites. Predators are <br />always on the look for vulnerable and unaware children who are easy prey</td></tr>
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All over the world, governments and education institutions are grappling with the problems that arise with the ‘abuse’ of social media. In most nations around the world, the governments are drafting policies to regulate social media as it is widely used to cause unrest, trigger anti-national activities and riots and spread fake news. Similarly, educational institutions such as schools and colleges are finding it difficult to prevent the misuse of social media that directly puts their students at risk.<br />
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In India, the government is twiddling its thumb over a comprehensive and encompassing policy to ensure the safety and security of school children. In the absence of a clear-cut regulation or legislation regarding the use, misuse of social media and ensuing penalties and remedies, each school is left to frame rules and regulations for their own students. In fact, schools are devising ways to incorporate social media and new-age technology with the existing teaching styles to upgrade teaching standards and learning outcomes. So, to strike a balance and ensure social media is ‘used’, not ‘misused’ is a difficult task and almost impossible to achieve.<br />
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The internet is flooded with social networking sites – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Youtube, TikTok being some of the most popular ones. For older children, the risks mostly originate directly from their own activities by being active on social media. The fact that social media has become too pervasive and intrusive also means that the risks are also very high.<br />
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Both children and parents must be aware of the perils of social networking sites. Predators are always on the look for vulnerable and unaware children who are easy prey. Once the risks are identified and understood, actions and strategies can be implemented to minimise the danger and the threat to children on social media.<br />
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For children in the pre-primary age group, the risks of social media arise mainly from the activities of their parents, relatives, teachers and other users of social networking sites and not the children themselves.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-25403802435775628292020-04-07T08:29:00.002-07:002020-04-21T05:35:20.008-07:00Transportation and Associated Risks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Rashmi Singhvi</b></i><br />
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The other area where children are prone to harm and injuries is transportation to and from schools. When a child commutes to school, safety precautions needs to be intact and practised, as the child is away from parents, school authorities and in the care and ‘supervision’ of bus drivers and conductors.<br />
Parents and schools opt for multiple transport options for school children. The vehicles and the vendors need to comply with the safety rules and guidelines as laid down by authorities from time to time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUXtSgID5zI5vrPLRCPZ_QVP6_UM2IjMwJDgupXKJkS9du5UzwIzr9Ddb6DoyaWQRJn9CkI7yMjP_dT0VxJ2QTdQKO6XKgsydPNhK2sJi-N58vPwq8wNYLK4xMX_4DcgZ0LVQx8VomxSU/s1600/Child14+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="700" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUXtSgID5zI5vrPLRCPZ_QVP6_UM2IjMwJDgupXKJkS9du5UzwIzr9Ddb6DoyaWQRJn9CkI7yMjP_dT0VxJ2QTdQKO6XKgsydPNhK2sJi-N58vPwq8wNYLK4xMX_4DcgZ0LVQx8VomxSU/s640/Child14+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When a child commutes to school, safety precautions needs to be intact and practised, as the child is away from <br />parents, school authorities and in the care and ‘supervision’ of bus drivers and conductors</td></tr>
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The safety of children in the school premises is also important and often neglected by the school management. Dilapidated buildings, under construction areas, haphazardly placed building rubble material, hazardous material can cause injuries, even death.<br />
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The Supreme Court in an order dates April 2018 had directed ‘framing of guidelines for fixing accountability of the school management in the matter of safety of the children studying in private and government schools within six months.’ The union Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of School Education and Literacy issued draft guidelines in August 2018 ‘fixing accountability of school management towards safety and security of children in schools’.<br />
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The guidelines were drafted for primary, secondary and higher secondary schools. They aimed to fix responsibilities of the school management towards safety and security of children in schools. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) developed a comprehensive Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools – a compilation of various existing guidelines, circulars, notifications and Government Orders on safety and security related issues in schools.<br />
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These guidelines must also be implemented for pre-primary schools - playschools, crèche and nurseries to ensure safety of these young children. So for example handing the child only to parents or authorised person; installing CCTV cameras in the campus; mandatory police verification of candidates while appointing or hiring teachers, physical instructors, lab technicians, drivers, janitors and other support staff including the security; involving parents in decision-making; ensuring safety compliance in school buses and vehicles such as presence of first-aid box, fire extinguisher, windows with horizontal grills, doors with reliable locks and proper space to keep school bags; proper screening of the driver and attendant; formation of a grievance committee for child sexual abuse (CSA) to address cases of child sexual abuse should be formed by the school; etc. are some of the important guidelines that can safely be implemented for pre-primary schools and centres.<br />
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It is not important that the government, schools and parents work in close tandem to address the situation. Whenever there is a case of child abuse or an accident, a blame game starts between the executive, polity, administration, school management and stakeholders i.e. parents, etc. There is a need to fix accountability on schools, bring in regulations and working in close association and being vigilant.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-73676396804978108692020-04-02T08:30:00.000-07:002020-04-21T05:32:24.861-07:00Pressure Is Counterproductive<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Manu Shrivastava</i></b><br />
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The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) in a report on pre-primary / pre-school education recommends avoiding formal education at that age and stating ‘Early focus on developing knowledge, skills and cognitive abilities in children harms their ability to develop a positive attitude, disposition to learn, be reflective, be inquisitive, be inventive, be resourceful, and being a problem solver’.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORHAXGipRtJLfjVQyCV3eVjI8Yq1iJ2KAA8CQzWbkaYtrrelmAQtq5XULO_ndZGUa4VdmQ-LtwRqPxmMElYBXNWLraH2zepX3ElTd0XLW-lLo32s4G9al4bXK8ojhMLOOTX_kpeRIKwhT/s1600/Child14+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="700" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORHAXGipRtJLfjVQyCV3eVjI8Yq1iJ2KAA8CQzWbkaYtrrelmAQtq5XULO_ndZGUa4VdmQ-LtwRqPxmMElYBXNWLraH2zepX3ElTd0XLW-lLo32s4G9al4bXK8ojhMLOOTX_kpeRIKwhT/s640/Child14+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are ample studies that indicate brain connections or neuron synapses multiply exponentially in <br />the first three years of a child’s life making it the optimal time for a child’s development</td></tr>
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In September 2019, pre-primary education is slated to become a part of the school system as declared in the Draft National Policy 2019. At a meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest policy-making body on education, the approval came. The draft National Education policy is set to make early childhood care and education (ECCE) i.e. from age zero to six years, part of the Indian school system.<br />
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The highly unregulated pre-primary school set their own curriculum and standards. There is a need to bring them under the purview of law to have a universal, formally-designed curriculum. The pressure on young children (and parents) to acquire academic excellence at that age must be questioned. The age is ripe for children to learn freely out of their natural curiosity, eagerness to experiment and their limitless imagination and must not be spoilt with formal education. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-40082149649813642152020-03-31T08:38:00.000-07:002020-04-21T05:43:54.698-07:00Competition Triggers Stress, Unrealistic Expectations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Prachi Desai</i></b><br />
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However, the task of getting admission into a new school for primary education is a gruelling one and very difficult. The competition among schools and limited seats makes the admissions process extremely stressful for the parents who have high expectations from their children.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqNus9ziM6vhjwFu1VMoivo-HUMeFOYczknZTYIg_n84G1SVzd7B78NT1m9Nd_ZchW1_DGQHo7tc99jRaeS3wqS8WwjBzcdO4wxPTgYLswkkOdWBcrhreJMT-DwviDuBxe1d2t4-9gZXr/s1600/Child14+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="700" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqNus9ziM6vhjwFu1VMoivo-HUMeFOYczknZTYIg_n84G1SVzd7B78NT1m9Nd_ZchW1_DGQHo7tc99jRaeS3wqS8WwjBzcdO4wxPTgYLswkkOdWBcrhreJMT-DwviDuBxe1d2t4-9gZXr/s640/Child14+%25284%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The competition among schools and limited seats makes the admissions process extremely <br />
stressful for the parents who have high expectations from their children</td></tr>
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Pre-primary schools were originally meant for holistic development of children by involving and engaging them in creative works, art and craft, dance and music and sporting activities. Any kind of learning was done through interesting activities involving toys, stories, role play, rhymes, group activities, etc. Lately, formal education has been introduced in pre-schools where teachers, often untrained, ‘teach’ the basics of formal education to young children. Their lack of training means children who need special attention or care are devoid of the same and lag.<br />
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There are private and public pre-primary schools in India. The former are mainly attended by children belonging to higher socio-economic groups while the latter belong to lower income groups. Education is a fundamental right but education of children below six years i.e. before primary school is not.<br />
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Consequentially, pre-primary education is largely unregulated and suffers with several crippling issues – absence of registration mechanism of pre-schools, unregulated fee structure, lack of trained and certified teachers, poor quality of education, dearth of safety, absence of standardised curriculum and, concurrently,lack accountability by law.<br />
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The policy framework for pre-primary schools in India is not a concrete one. The National Policy on Education 1986 had placed immense importance on pre-school education but it is not fully managed by the central or state educational departments. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) is responsible for elementary education but the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) looks at pre-primary education. A WCD report titled ‘National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Curriculum Framework’ states:<br />
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‘The programme at the early childhood stage helps to ensure opportunities for holistic learning and growth. The ECCE programme needs to be determined by children’s developmental and contextual needs, providing for more need based inputs and an enabling environment. Given this need for an individualised approach, it was believed that a common‘curriculum’ would not be appropriate for all’.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-67766860274553749122020-03-22T08:31:00.000-07:002020-04-21T05:44:09.930-07:00Pre-Primary Must Not Be Formal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Manu Shrivastava</i></b><br />
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Pre-primary school are centres where generally pre-primary education is imparted before the compulsory ‘formal’ primary education begins. It is supposed to lay foundation of knowledge in children and ensures an overall development of child.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FJOtkpvF9y_Y48sowYgdSHFo_LLiGqNV0oGYjB7jt5eSwD0X6gG3yPCWAfG2Ws8WeJuSIhR8mGKAGwV8eEwny8OEBlKUjPBZOR50YxwC30uiai3hDv7q2yoW9ocxxhh2QkSZYYQJhymw/s1600/Child14+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FJOtkpvF9y_Y48sowYgdSHFo_LLiGqNV0oGYjB7jt5eSwD0X6gG3yPCWAfG2Ws8WeJuSIhR8mGKAGwV8eEwny8OEBlKUjPBZOR50YxwC30uiai3hDv7q2yoW9ocxxhh2QkSZYYQJhymw/s640/Child14+%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is yet to be ascertained if starting formal education that early is good or bad for the overall development of children</td></tr>
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Formal education is a classroom-based training that is provided by trained teachers or instructors. This process of acquiring knowledge is primarily by way of instructions and involves schools or institutions. This type of education is subject oriented and has a hierarchical structure.<br />
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In formal learning, children learn basic academic skills in the premises of a school. Generally, formal education begins in elementary or primary school but now, in many instances, basics of formal education begin in pre-primary education itself. It is yet to be ascertained if starting formal education that early is good or bad for the overall development of children.<br />
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In India, similar to many Asian countries, there is immense pressure on the child to perform well in academics and on the parents to ensure the child performs well to maintain their reputation among the peers. Formal education is one type of education that has developed hundreds of ways to ‘mark’ children.<br />
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There are tests of all kinds during the academic session, at the end of academic session, exams, competitions and activities where children are constantly ranked against each other. In these activities, children understand one thing for sure – that anything they do, they will be either better or worse than their ‘friends’ and peer.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-5557892498271471972020-03-17T08:38:00.000-07:002020-04-21T05:44:19.440-07:00Need to ‘regularise’, ‘improve’ pre-school sector<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Prachi Desai</i></b><br />
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The WCD report has listed recommendations to regularise and improve the pre-primary education sector. ‘To ensure optimal development for all children, there is a need to create a planned curriculum framework, encompassing developmentally appropriate knowledge and skills, with flexibility for contextualisation and diverse needs of young children.'<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSdk3m_l4PJpmdXC1zGFMwATbhkgC6S37VU9SpaMIKmiWdNB4UKnujduExujH-uxWk1gHt3GmlvcTsw5ippBSz-3xB1-d6HU4E6o-70lORr9ZEoAabtYWUAtuiwEgYHuEJDIoq6DeuAAR/s1600/Child5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="700" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSdk3m_l4PJpmdXC1zGFMwATbhkgC6S37VU9SpaMIKmiWdNB4UKnujduExujH-uxWk1gHt3GmlvcTsw5ippBSz-3xB1-d6HU4E6o-70lORr9ZEoAabtYWUAtuiwEgYHuEJDIoq6DeuAAR/s640/Child5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Draft National Education Policy 2019 has strong recommendations on formalising pre-primary <br />
education in India and has tackled the issue with e seriousness it commands</td></tr>
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A curriculum framework is also required to ensure that important learning areas are covered, taking care of all the developmental needs of the young child. It also facilitates adoption of a common pedagogical approach to ensure a certain level of quality and address the widespread diversity in the ECCE programmes available for the young children in India.’<br />
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The Indian government adopted the National ECCE Policy to lay out ‘the vision for children below the age of six years’. The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE Act) 2010 also addresses the Early Childhood Education under Section 11 of the Act which states “with a view to prepare children above the age of 3 years for elementary education and to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years, the appropriate Government may make necessary arrangements for providing free pre-school education for such children”.<br />
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The Draft National Education Policy 2019 has strong recommendations on formalising pre-primary education in India and has tackled the issue with e seriousness it commands.The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 that the Government of India adopted states, “by 2030 to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education”.<br />
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In a country where more than half the population is under 25 years old, the demands of quality education for these youngsters and for their children are high. It’s time to take stock of things and bring in a much-needed law, on par with the rest of the world, for pre-primary education in India.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-85132848480626492292020-03-10T08:32:00.000-07:002020-04-08T08:09:17.583-07:00Creativity Takes A Backseat, Sadly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Manu Shrivastava</i></b><br />
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Pre-primary schools and centres teach basics of formal education and, in the process,the focus on creative activities, arts, sports is diminished drastically. Worse still, these schools do not take any responsibility in ensuring the child learns the basics. Their convenient response is that formal education starts in primary schools and is not their responsibility.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmLAkGitjXUaDL8pAdQ_-Dwp_IpVnPu-vjm9P3HElwhaXEU7E6JoyiZTtDu-qZH3B82woBcmlzgIyEiolWWqZuVmpHvudA24axpsWTzIdzXzStJhb6IOBhW_jSiC9o8_cP9K0qr0eQW_0/s1600/Child4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmLAkGitjXUaDL8pAdQ_-Dwp_IpVnPu-vjm9P3HElwhaXEU7E6JoyiZTtDu-qZH3B82woBcmlzgIyEiolWWqZuVmpHvudA24axpsWTzIdzXzStJhb6IOBhW_jSiC9o8_cP9K0qr0eQW_0/s640/Child4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fact remains most children at that age are too young to understand and learn certain things. At this stage, they must be engaged in activities that develop their creative skills, thinking abilities and moral values and not focus on how well they ‘learn’ or ‘remember’ alphabets or numbers. Also, every child has a different growth curve. They may learn and understand different things at different pace. This does not mean that one is inferior to the other.<br />
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So, if someone understands and identifies alphabets faster does not mean he is smarter, another child may be better in building blocks. So, the pressure of undertaking formal education that soon in pre-primary schooling is often counterproductive.<br />
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When children don’t perform well in academic tests, their parents enrol them in tuition classes. The child is burdened unnecessarily and deprived of other outdoor and developmental activities that are quintessential at that age.<br />
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There are innumerable parents who send their children to tuition classes everyday after they come from their playschool or nursery classes. It is not only exerting for the child physically but also mentally as he thinks he is not at par with his friends who do not take tuitions.<br />
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The rigid system of formal education makes it inappropriate and inapplicable for pre-primary school children. “My son liked going to school but he does not like reading alphabets and now it has become very difficult to take him to school everyday,” says mother of three-year-old Alisha Shah from Ahmedabad. So, if the child loses interest in an activity as he is not able to score good marks in it, there is a risk of the child losing interest in schooling completely.<br />
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And, more often than not, in this race children with disabilities or special needs are completely ignored. Many children who are dyslexic, autistic or have other mental disorders are completely ignored in the rigid formal education system.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-21392486399546617512020-03-04T07:38:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:16.972-07:00‘Overall’ Growth Is Needed at Pre-Primary Level<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Raani Ved</b></i><br />
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Pre-primary education sector is incorporating holistic development modules. Many playschools, day care centres and nurseries lay emphasis on overall growth and not just specific aspects. Delhi-based Yogini Sharma sends her three-year-old son Rohit to a private nursery that provides holistic education. “The best thing I like about this system is that they focus on growth in all aspects of a human being – intellectual, social, emotional and cultural. I am glad I sent my child to this place and did not get swayed by popular perception of making my child suffer just to get ‘good marks’ in academics.”<br />
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Holistic centres prepare children to be lifelong natural learners. Pune-based Kavita Tope, whose four-year-old daughter is enrolled in a playschool that provides holistic education, says “The school is making sure that my child is also learning basic human values which we are losing gradually – compassion, gratitude, respect, belongingness, etc. I learn so much from my own daughter everyday.”<br />
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There are some critical components of holistic education that pre-primary education centres must offer to the children. In nurseries and playschools the children are very young and highly impressionable making it easier to inculcate a well-rounded behaviour. Most holistic education centres focus on hands-on lessons for academics, emotional development, character formation, development of communication and social skills, team work, good manners, etc.<br />
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In May 2018, Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar announced the launch of ‘Samagra Shiksha’ an integrated scheme for school education extending support to states from pre-school to senior secondary levels. The scheme marked a huge shift from the existing mode of education and treats school holistically as a ‘continuum starting from pre-school’. Speaking at the occasion, Mr Javadekar said “The scheme focuses on improving quality of education at all levels by integrating the two T’s – Teachers and Technology.‘Samagra’ means a holistic approach to treat education as a whole and the scheme is very aptly named as it sees school education holistically without segmenting it into various levels of education.”<br />
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It is no secret what Mahatma Gandhi said about education, that it should focus on all–round education and not just literacy. ‘Education is the systematic process of training of the head, hand and heart. Head – learning to know, Hand – learning to earn a livelihood and Heart – learning to be’. He said education is needed to make better human beings and that allows them to meet basic needs of an individual.<br />
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However, to ensure holistic education is imparted, the teachers must be properly trained, curriculum must be properly designed and an environment is provided that promotes balanced relationships between children and with people and the environment.<br />
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Holistic education is a welcome alternative to the mechanised mode of education that is primarily instruction based. There are different theories on modes of discourse but the underlying goal is the same – assist children in understanding the concept of a balanced life so when they grow up they make the right decisions about their own lives.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-30396316024085563402020-03-01T07:33:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.091-07:00Despite Law, Privacy Is Directly at Risk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Tulip Sinha</i></b><br />
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Privacy is an important aspect of human lives today in every country and most social groups. The manifestation and understanding of privacy may change from one group to another but now it has become a topic of daily discourse across nations. How does privacy affect the pre-primary education sector and what are the crucial aspects that we need to understand that affect the children directly?<br />
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Humans are a hyper-connected global community now. Even at places where there is an absence or dearth of basic amenities, technology and the internet have marked their presence among all age groups. So, it does not come as surprise that even in the remotest geographical area or in an uneducated group of people or within a traditional society, the internet, gadgets and social media are an integral part of lives.<br />
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With the penetration of technology and internet comes the risk of intrusion into private space and of privacy violation. The concept of privacy may be different for people but in the eye of law, ‘privacy’ is well defined and the law of the land ensures that privacy of an individual is guaranteed through constitutional provisions.<br />
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The right to privacy extends to children also as legal citizens of the country. The schools in the country are governed by regulatory mechanisms but entities facilitating pre-primary education such as playschools, crèche and school nurseries are largely unregulated. In the absence of law regulating such entities and the fact that millions such playschools and crèche have mushroomed in cities, even in single rooms spaces projects the seriousness of the issue.<br />
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The privacy of children attending playschools, nurseries and those going to crèche is at high risk. As mentioned earlier, such entities are largely unregulated and therefore possess a higher chance of other irregularities that crop up– absence of verification of teaching and administrative staff, negligence towards structural stability and propriety of the building or structure housing the entity, transportation irregularities, etc. For private and government schools, such checks are done by the law, regulations and government guidelines - not applicable to pre-primary education sector.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-35218432871576704482020-02-26T08:35:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.153-07:00Social Media reveals too much for comfort<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Mamta Gupta</i></b><br />
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In many instances, details of family vacations posted online have been exploited by thieves and robbers to steal from people’s homes and is being actively used in this manner.<br />
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Clicking selfies is now bordering on an obsessive behavioural pattern. Even if the selfie by itself does not cause trouble, the location tag, background details, fact that the person is alone or not, has taken the child along or not can easily be figured out by such predators, again putting the child at risk of injury, abuse, even death.<br />
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Most social networking sites and apps offer privacy options that seem to protect the data you put online making it available only to those you wish to. However, fact remains there is nothing like privacy in cyber space. Most content that you post online gets crawled through search engines and hundreds of other sites that keep this information in their databases.<br />
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So, if you have made a public picture on your social media account private, there is no guarantee that the image wouldn’t have been taken up by other sites. Also, these platforms keep changing their privacy policy, making it difficult for the user to understand or keep pace with. A lot of information despite being marked private is revealed to ‘mutual’ friends, followers, etc.<br />
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Online stalkers and predators act in different ways. While they may not have access to children of this age group directly on social media, they may approach children physically based on the details divulged online by their parents or other family members.<br />
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The threat is not restricted to activities by parents or family members. Children are at risk from their schools (playschools, nurseries), day care centres, tuition teachers and instructors of other hobby classes that they go to.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-45291111812726334422020-02-20T07:37:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.237-07:00‘Holistic’ Education is a subjective issue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Raani Ved</b></i><br />
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In the fiercely competitive world today, educationists are constantly lookingfor the ‘best’to offer to students and parents. And, holistic education is one of the best-selling lines when it comes to schools, even for pre-school, pre-primary education and playschools.<br />
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Educators and the administrative staff associated with such pre-primary education centres, playschools and nurseries keep looking for innovative and effective modes of teaching students for holistic development. In lieu, they charge exorbitant fees promising overall development of the child thereby ensuring a bright future.<br />
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The debate is always fresh and ripe with inputs from all about how best to train future generations and ensure a strong foundation is laid for the child to be able to take up the responsibilities of a proud citizen.<br />
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The objective of such institutions should be to educate the child in all spheres of life – academics, arts, sports, communication, compassion, etc. The research on teaching pedagogy, educational philosophies and the various elements is ongoing albeit debatable. Every such educational entity decides what is best for students based on their personal prejudices and choices.<br />
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So, for some holistic education means educating children to ensure they grow up into environment-conscious citizens, for others it could mean cultural diversity, while for other it could mean active sports life and overall development in athletics.<br />
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In India, holistic education was the basis of traditional education system i.e. the gurukuls – a residential schooling system dating back to ancient times. Primarily existent in the Vedic times, gurukuls taught students various subject including how to live a disciplined, meaningful and responsible life. The focus of gurukuls was to impart holistic education to the students but in an environment where the pupils could learn several other attributes.<br />
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So, living and residing together inculcated virtues of discipline, love, kindness, brotherhood, etc. In gurukuls, the disciples were taught diverse skills – learning languages, understanding scriptures, debating, practising archery, learning science and mathematics, playing sports, learning music, etc.<br />
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Diverse modes of teaching and learning were implemented and emphasis was given on developing logical reasoning, intelligence and critical thinking. Yoga and meditation were integral to daily routine to instil discipline, mindfulness and a healthy way of life.<br />
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In India, gurukuls had children from a very early age as parents would send their children away to become a responsible, wise and aware human beings. It is no wonder that even kings would send their sons to these gurukuls to make them fierce warriors and wise kings.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-16627741530040231412020-02-15T07:34:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:16.913-07:00When Protectors Turn Into Violators<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Tulip Sinha</i></b><br />
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There have been numerous instances across the world where the privacy of a child is violated by the people who are in positions to protect the child. In playschools, crèche and nurseries, instances are aplenty where privacy of a child is violated and unfortunately, owing to poor understanding of the concept and no knowledge of the availability of legal remedies, the matter is brushed aside. When privacy violations cross certain limits, the trauma affects the child’s life and often stays for the rest of the child’s life.<br />
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In such school nurseries, crèche and playschools, it is often the staff that perpetrates such violations owing to access to children, to resources and ‘authority’ to handle and tackle children. With the flood of cheap smartphones today, almost everyone, at least every adult now has a smartphone that he/she actively uses. Smartphones and phone cameras are the easiest tool used by perpetrators that violate privacy of individuals and children specifically.Camera phones, CCTV cameras and cameras in general are used by perpetrators to violate privacy of children in their space of trust.<br />
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Children are at risk at every moment of their presence in these learning centres. The risks are present when children are in the classrooms, go to washrooms, commute to and from schools. Despite the increase in crimes against children and specific guidelines for installation of CCTV cameras in the school premises and in classrooms, many schools are lagging behind. In the absence of any regulation for pre-primary schools, the is neither any enforcement not compliance pressure on playschools, etc. to install CCTV cameras for the safety of the children.<br />
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This greatly increases the risks of perpetrators clicking pictures or making videos of innocent children in classrooms, even toilets. There have been several instances in playschools around the country, and the world, where heling staff or cleaner, even teacher have violated privacy of unassuming children by clicking videos and pictures.<br />
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In fact, there have been several cases where the perpetrators have misused CCTV footage to their advantage by grabbing images and videos of children from the CCTV footage, owing to lack of security and proper measures deciding who gets access to such footage.<br />
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Similarly, police clearance and verification of the employees of schools are often not done as laid down by law. So, expecting unregulated pre-primary nurseries, tuition classes and crèches to go through the time-consuming process of getting police verification done of their staff and teachers is foolhardy.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-65368103150208876662020-02-12T08:36:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.380-07:00India’s Pre-Schools Needs To Be Regulated <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Prachi Desai</i></b><br />
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India is a fast-growing economy and a rapidly evolving one too. The changes in socio-economic conditions have transformed family structures to the extent that in most cases both parents are working individuals and not just the father. This phenomenon is more prevalent in urban and semi-urban areas.<br />
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To cope with the perils of nuclear family and the absence of a child caretaker at home, parents have started sending their young children to day-care centres during the day and leave them in the supervision of housemaids at other times. In the last few years, thousands of day-care centres have mushroomed in cities – often doubling up as pre-primary schools as well.<br />
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Research studies conducted all over the world suggest that pre-primary education is critical to the development of young children even before they start their learning through formal education in primary schools. Pre-primary ‘schooling’ helps prepare children for the next important phase of their lives in elementary education and helps develop cognitive skills, necessary for the overall development of the child.<br />
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Pre-primary education is the first step for a child into the ever-growing realm of knowledge and provides basic skills to the child to find his bearing, become independent, gain confidence and ensures all-round development.<br />
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Earlier, day-care centres, crèche or playschools (often used interchangeably)would be restricted to providing care and supervision to infants and young children during the day, particularly for those whose parents were working and could not attend to their children. However, with changing times and an increased demand, these centres gradually started providing pre-primary ‘education’ i.e. basics of formal education ‘to prepare young children for primary education’ for the days to come.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-88159487961551846622020-02-09T07:37:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.611-07:00Focus on ‘curriculum’ is a ‘learned’ concept<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Raani Ved</i></b><br />
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As time evolved, with invasions and external influence, the traditional mode of education got lost in oblivion and modern-education system took over, especially under the British where focus was primarily on the ‘curriculum’ and anything else was called ‘extra-curricular’ and second priority.<br />
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In 1835, the British introduced the English Education Act. Lord Macauley produced his ‘infamous’ memorandum on the Indian education system, particularly the native (Hindu) culture and learning and declared it inferior. The new system of education was devoid of personality development, moral science, etc. and only focussed on academic excellence.<br />
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The competition, standardised format and the fact that all students are marked against the same parameters has led to unnecessary burden on young children, stress and even depression. The child is unable to explore his own potential and talent and excellence is measured only in academics.<br />
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In the last few decades, the concept of holistic education has resurfaced and more new schools are adopting the same every day. This could arise from the fact that the generation gone by realises the importance of holistic education that was denied to them. They want the best for their children and so focus on an overall development of the child rather than the child turning into a ‘book worm’.<br />
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Pre-primary school is the right time when a growing child can be moulded into a well-developed human being. It is also the best time as the child is a blank slate and if the foundation is laid properly, with the right intention, the child will turn into a responsible citizen.<br />
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Holistic education is rooted in experience-based learning and centres education on the relationships that people create with each other. These relationships form the core of the educational environment. Holistic education is considered a form of alternative learning because of its emphasis on creating a different learning environment from what is typically practiced.<br />
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So, when the existing framework boasts of a rank-based education system, it is only obvious that the rat race fuels animosity, negative competitiveness, jealousy and contempt. A move towards holistic education is therefore important and timely so a value-based education system comes into order that focusses on treating every child as a unique individual and allows an organic growth of the child through his natural talent and potential. The idea being not to judge all children on the same parameters as every individual is different.<br />
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Holistic education is also essential for character building. An important essential of this education system is the relation between teacher and the student – it has to be friendly, inspiring, respectful and trusting. This allows the child to develop a sense of security, explore and excel in his area of interest.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-8099286764322235862020-02-05T07:40:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.526-07:00Nurseries Far From ‘Safe’ For Children<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Rashmi Singhvi</b></i><br />
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<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In 2014, a Bengaluru-based private school came in the news when a nursery student was sexually abused by the office assistant.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A four-year-old boy was headed in a human sacrifice ritual in Andhra Pradesh in October 2015. The boy was kidnapped as he was returning home from nursery.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In November 2015, a three-year-old nursery student was crushed to death in the school elevator at Dilsukhnagar in Andhra Pradesh.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In another shocking incident in November 2017, a four-year-old boy was booked for raping his classmate in a private school in Delhi.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Greater Noida police arrested the lifeguard at the swimming pool of a reputed private school in July 2018 as he raped a three-year-old girl at the school premises. The lifeguard was working at the school for 13 years.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A seven-year-old boy in Bengaluru was run over by his own school bus in June 2019 while trying to cross the road to reach his day care centre.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In August 2019 in Delhi, a private school sweeper was arrested for sexually assaulting a five-year-old nursery girl at multiple occasions.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In February 2020, a school van caught fire in Sangrur, burning four children alive. The risks of mishaps are higher with vehicles that do not comply with norms especially in smaller schools in residential areas.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Most recently, in March 2020 in Fatehgarh Sahib, about 20 children of the Akal Academy escaped with minor injuries after their school bus hit an electricity pole and overturned in a field.</i><br />
<i>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The one incident that shook the nation and raised a big question on safety of children in schools was the murder of a seven-year-old boy from Ryan International School in Gurgaon who was killed by a senior in the school washroom in 2017.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4Mvf7WIu8S2ebKgWeuO1ywfxN4FQg-sy9WWXWG3O3k-rKzO8tLWWkxNSlc9jgmIgPgYUZyPdIuaEXEgi4xxBtaGTu_MU5K196atjNlLm7hkPgMYafQ81MAc8-2S7C9JXFKH2PhJAal24/s1600/Child14+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="700" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4Mvf7WIu8S2ebKgWeuO1ywfxN4FQg-sy9WWXWG3O3k-rKzO8tLWWkxNSlc9jgmIgPgYUZyPdIuaEXEgi4xxBtaGTu_MU5K196atjNlLm7hkPgMYafQ81MAc8-2S7C9JXFKH2PhJAal24/s640/Child14+%25284%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Crime of these nature sent shockwaves across the country especially because such a brutal and serious offence happened even in schools of international repute apparently ‘regulated by statutory guidelines.’ The risks posed to children in pre-primary education centres are much higher as there are higher chances of irregularities in the absence of a regulatory framework.Children’s safety and wellbeing has been compromised in several instances.<br />
<br />
Everyday, fresh cases emerge to demonstrate the vulnerability of children in schools. According to NCPCR, a school is a place where children ‘feel safe, secure on the premises with the care providers; sense of security is instilled when action is taken against misconduct or abuse such as corporal punishment, discriminatory practices, bullying and other forms of verbal, emotional or sexual abuse, by teachers, other personnel or other students.<br />
<br />
Apart from sexual abuse, children face physical harm due to accidents and mishaps that cause physical injuries. Also, physical and psychological harm, mental harassment and discrimination are widespread in schools due to corporal punishment, bullying, assault, harassment, etc. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-57185175075812739822020-01-31T07:46:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.323-07:00Threats abundant during childhood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Rashmi Singhvi</b></i><br />
<br />
Children spend a major part of their childhood years in pursuit of education or in preparing for schools. If they are not in schools already, they are either in a crèche, a playschool or in a school nursery, working their way up to enrol in a primary school. However, in all these places the safety and security of children in these premises is of utmost importance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJuG0cbx-gfIrD_Ga8aEBotlx2kpn_EknNv67yajMm9me7tJf3EZhS0cdirmTTWQseDraUaTgo4iLTJgcucBIan2TFHrlZbax8wRlDlhhpS8627zrxLukTiD_TYgL69poVxAjb8COIm9V/s1600/Child15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="700" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJuG0cbx-gfIrD_Ga8aEBotlx2kpn_EknNv67yajMm9me7tJf3EZhS0cdirmTTWQseDraUaTgo4iLTJgcucBIan2TFHrlZbax8wRlDlhhpS8627zrxLukTiD_TYgL69poVxAjb8COIm9V/s640/Child15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) defines ‘School Safety’ as ‘creating a safe environment for children, starting from their homes to their schools and back. This includes safety from any kind of abuse, violence, psycho-social issue, disaster: natural and man-made, fire and transportation’. The children, however, are extremely vulnerable and prone to abuse – physical, sexual and mental from the same people who are supposed to care for their well-being in these places.<br />
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A child needs a healthy, protected and supportive environment for proper growth and development. This is a Fundamental Right of a child guaranteed by the Constitution of India under the Right to Life and Dignity, Right to Education, Right to protection from abuse, right to opportunities to develop as able adults. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 (and the amendments) and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 also have strict provisions to deal with offences against children.<br />
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The discussion on safety of children in pre-primary education sector picked momentum in recent years following the increase in cases of violence, abuse, even murders in schools. The rise of sexual crimes against children – of both genders – and that of violence, murder, etc. has taken the nation by surprise.<br />
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Playschools and nurseries are considered second homes for children and such instances have caused fear, panic and mistrust in parents and children alike.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-80325269206566484192020-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:002020-04-21T05:45:47.055-07:00They’re Young and Vulnerable<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Mamta Gupta</i></b><br />
<br />
The fact that they are too young to use networking sites or apps means that they will not be active themselves but it also means they won’t have a say in someone clicking their pictures or videos and uploading on social media without ‘their’ consent or that of their parents or guardians. Not to mention that pre-primary age group children are now getting access to smartphones and social media, albeit through their parents’ or family members’ profiles, as parents often hand over their phones to keep their children engaged.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjplw3XBI39rFK_XYGXFWXTXYjRZxy0ikzcXOp0DhWf-0HLGA5LWNB2-zT6xUyDw7rei-oulSNlnJGXydqYFiLbkblYqNh43DbterZpUVJHvY2-nyU7iT-nxx56KcySugmQBia9zky5ss8/s1600/Child10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjplw3XBI39rFK_XYGXFWXTXYjRZxy0ikzcXOp0DhWf-0HLGA5LWNB2-zT6xUyDw7rei-oulSNlnJGXydqYFiLbkblYqNh43DbterZpUVJHvY2-nyU7iT-nxx56KcySugmQBia9zky5ss8/s1600/Child10.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The law on protection of privacy of children in terms of posting content on social media is weak</td></tr>
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The law on protection of privacy of children in terms of posting content on social media is weak. Unless a parent or guardian explicitly denies permission and raises objection to such content of their child or ward put on social media, there is nothing in law that prevents such activity by itself.<br />
That is the reason why online predators who eye unassuming parents posting ‘happy’ pictures and those of their family and children on social media find it very easy to find their targets online.<br />
<br />
People in general are sharing too much information today on social networking sites which is clearly avoidable and not advisable. If the information relates to themselves, they may be able to understand and tackle the risks involved. Although several new cases surface everyday where adults, even educated men and women fall victim to online predators. Parents put all kinds of ‘dangerous’ details on their social media platforms – the school their child is attending, places they visit, vacation itineraries, events the child or family is going to participate in, travel plans, family details and pictures, etc.<br />
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All this information that an unsuspecting parent divulges is the perfect fodder for an online predator. These predators are always fishing for such information, images and videos. And they can do a lot more with that information that one can imagine. The predator can be present at the specific event, can walk up to the child’s school and befriend the child using other details of family members and their lives, posted online.<br />
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There is nothing people don’t talk about on social media – their birthday, name of spouse, parents’ name, hometown, pet’s name and details, their favourites, etc. All this information can also be used by cyber predators to get access to platforms that house sensitive information such as a child’s school records, medical records, private images and videos and portals that can be used for identity theft also.<br />
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One must understand that smaller, innocuous details shared over a long period of time can be used by online stalkers and predators to draw a big picture and infer information that you have not even posted online. In case of adults, such details are often used for hacking as they reveal answers to secret questions, email passwords, etc.<br />
<br />
Additionally, not just actively putting live content, pictures and images but also commenting on other people’s (friend’s) posts reveal a lot of information and can easily be misused.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-81108054177744529292020-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.555-07:00Preparing for the Rat-Race Ahead<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Manu Shrivastava</b></i><br />
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When it comes to pre-primary education, the focus of nurseries and playschools has shifted from engaging children in creative activities for healthy growth and development to preparing them for the rat race that lies ahead – admission to a ‘good’ school, performing ‘well’ in academics and getting a well-paying job in the future.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWQ9X5K3EUKyq9kFBgKF7dHqwOKKXsik0eQnm0l09vvHqVhctoV4zwoQ_fNtPAv_7XRtvLfl2JvCcWsahHjq18OCmJ9j0Mvfxx-H1FIKDG0EyU6QUavfg9ox7l8b-5LcJqzVL8EsqsZlN/s1600/Child1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="700" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWQ9X5K3EUKyq9kFBgKF7dHqwOKKXsik0eQnm0l09vvHqVhctoV4zwoQ_fNtPAv_7XRtvLfl2JvCcWsahHjq18OCmJ9j0Mvfxx-H1FIKDG0EyU6QUavfg9ox7l8b-5LcJqzVL8EsqsZlN/s640/Child1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Modern pre-primary schools have forgotten the importance of non-formal education i.e. the purpose of pre-primary education.<br />
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The process of admission to a ‘good’ elementary school itself is extremely stressful for parents and the pressure percolates down to the children also. Pre-primary education centres have made the most use of this race to get into a reputed primary school and many now teach the basics of formal education to children in nurseries, even playschool.<br />
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So, this means that at the very beginning of their lives, children are judged for their performance or non-performance in tests and activities devised by other individuals. Also, all children are judged on the same parameters and put into boxes, ranked, rewarded and punished. It is no secret that every child is different. Every child is unique and has a natural talent and aptitude for something specific.<br />
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Someone may be good at learning numbers, other might be good at drawing while someone else be good at sports. So, putting all of them through the same standardised test and then marking them for their performance is not only illogical but also inhuman. It is the chronological grading system in formal education that makes matters worse.<br />
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Even if children do not take their performance in these tests seriously, their teachers and the parents ensure that the child does not forget how important it is to excel in these tests and exams.<br />
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For children going to playschools and nurseries it is not a healthy environment as instead of learning to be kind to each other and share things with everyone around, they learn to be selfish, focus only on themselves and see their friends through the prism of their performance and their ‘ranks’ in the class.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-29467949416925160352020-01-22T07:35:00.000-08:002020-04-08T08:09:17.060-07:00‘Private’ Tuitions Pose High Threat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Tulip Sinha</b></i><br />
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Another important area where privacy of children and their safety is at risk is private tuitions. The rat race to get their child admitted in a ‘good and prestigious’ school has allowed a whole new supplementary education system in terms of private tuitions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryrbM7xG5jQxHVrAbbDI4-4SmtrYQjdHrN2-dR9ZmA9AimyfQoA-iKWG6MD22et4UTWSeDiT3j9C_cLN-KECHTctphJ9BTBkw30expTBLnWfAOPcRTHRiRf8NDyiSBmO0koSOiMRimvgR/s1600/Child14+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="700" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryrbM7xG5jQxHVrAbbDI4-4SmtrYQjdHrN2-dR9ZmA9AimyfQoA-iKWG6MD22et4UTWSeDiT3j9C_cLN-KECHTctphJ9BTBkw30expTBLnWfAOPcRTHRiRf8NDyiSBmO0koSOiMRimvgR/s640/Child14+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A toddler who is only beginning to understand the basics of formal education, is often put through tuitions by over-ambitious parents who want to see their children in renowned schools when they start their primary education. The tutors and such tuitions are completely outside the purview of the law and regulations and pose grave risks to children.<br />
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To understand privacy, one needs to understand the definition of privacy within the socio-cultural fabric of the country. The Right to Privacy is encompassed under the Right to Life and Personal Liberty i.e. Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Privacy is a dynamic concept and can be understood with elucidation. In India, privacy was not considered a fundamental right earlier.<br />
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In a landmark judgment in 2017, the Supreme Court of India declared that ‘The right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution’, thereby protecting the country’s 1.3 billion people.With this milestone ruling, India joined the United States, Canada, South Africa, the European Union and the United Kingdom in recognising this right.<br />
<br />
So, every individual, including every child has a right to privacy and it is time now that the government brings in a law to regulate entities running pre-primary education i.e. playschools, crèche and school nurseries.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-62505351112755995652020-01-15T07:34:00.000-08:002020-04-21T05:46:39.115-07:00Pre-school transport remains risk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Tulip Sinha</b></i><br />
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Transportation is another area where children are the most at risk and neither in school nor at their home. Here, the trustworthiness of the driver, cleaner and attendant comes into play. Children are at high risk as they are completely dependent on these people while going to school. Especially when the commute is done through private vans, auto rickshaws, etc. the chances of privacy violations and serious offences are even more as they are often not registered or verified by the relevant authorities.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4RTgMe4r3t415vPRLUjg6hU3hdFJckB3JIaNZzOgLobQB8tVpALEq2Zc_JWcXznx1OCmggJqJbqbLqDhhxTZ_lIM8liDQOIRNXyV2ln6w8qA5BHNg7YLvhmUxnfdy7J6vPaMUUXX2hGm/s1600/Child14+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="700" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4RTgMe4r3t415vPRLUjg6hU3hdFJckB3JIaNZzOgLobQB8tVpALEq2Zc_JWcXznx1OCmggJqJbqbLqDhhxTZ_lIM8liDQOIRNXyV2ln6w8qA5BHNg7YLvhmUxnfdy7J6vPaMUUXX2hGm/s640/Child14+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a case, a four-year-old nursery student was raped by the driver of the school bus in Pinjore. <br />The driver raped the girl after dropping of all the other kids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Smartphones and technology advancements have given a big boost to authorities in nabbing such crimes. However, the same have even empowered and emboldened paedophiles and perverts who use technology for their pleasure.<br />
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The threats posed by such acts are far too many than can ever be quantified. When a pervert shoots a video of a child, he often sends the same to many other people. Anything that goes in cyber space once stays there forever. So, there is a very high chance of such material resurfacing after years. The trauma that the family suffers and the child who does not even understand the seriousness or the consequences of such acts is inexplicable.<br />
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In 2018, a nursery student was raped in Greater Noida. The incident shook the parents and the administration so much that it led to an overhaul in security measures on the premises. In another case, a four-year-old nursery student was raped by the driver of the school bus in Pinjore. The driver raped the girl after dropping of all the other kids.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-51156473209769023742020-01-08T08:36:00.000-08:002020-04-21T05:51:51.026-07:00Pre-School Activity Raises Risks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Mamta Gupta</i></b><br />
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When day care centres, nurseries, playschools, tutors, hobby class instructors post pictures of children on social media, they put these children at high risk. Such content may be uploaded for various reasons – to promote their respective entity, to publicise about events, activities, award functions, outdoor visits, etc. or generally on their social media platforms for public viewing. In most cases, parental consent is not acquired, the content is ‘public’ and ‘innocuous’ use of such images and videos jeopardises the child involved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUWdLiMoVPi7zAh_BsYK_ylx1gPJnWIe4xxU3tsHavhZVlixG9uPXwUX7cj2qBBvt0S9P0b_P3iXmDI4pEzvZ6k0pbJleNMl52-olwZUEKsWCjfvU4Mcevz6T35l8Kin6iNlvRVTMFV-L/s1600/Child11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="700" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUWdLiMoVPi7zAh_BsYK_ylx1gPJnWIe4xxU3tsHavhZVlixG9uPXwUX7cj2qBBvt0S9P0b_P3iXmDI4pEzvZ6k0pbJleNMl52-olwZUEKsWCjfvU4Mcevz6T35l8Kin6iNlvRVTMFV-L/s640/Child11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The child must know and understand that it is not okay to have any interaction<br />
with strangers and any such instance must be reported to the parent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Often, such predators cultivate relationships with such children and create a trusting bond, so the child does not raise alarm or inform anyone. Then, with the right opportunity, such predators start abusing children in different ways. It is important for parents to develop a close bond with their children, so the child trusts them completely. Parents should also be aware all the time about their child’s behaviour and any change, if so. The child must know and understand that it is not okay to have any interaction with strangers and any such instance must be reported to the parent.<br />
<br />
The benefits of social media are often argued for – staying in ouch with family, friends; getting to know new people; interacting with people with similar interests and hobbies; professional networking; etc. But the dangers are far more serious and cannot be ignored. It is the responsibility of every parent to protect their child.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-33500011800386208622020-01-02T08:37:00.000-08:002020-04-21T05:55:09.592-07:00They’re Meant to ‘Prepare’ Children For School<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>By Prachi Desai</i></b><br />
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The main purpose of pre-primary education now is to prepare children physically, mentally, socially and emotionally for formal education. Studies suggest children who attend pre-primary schools learn faster in formal schooling set ups as they quickly grasp the structured curriculums.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XUA7NQZeP7uY4nh2z2BLU-HNUoGQ7L6TXtqUxXiQvBO-hiPMwLqPO1v4cXJthTzsFgz6U-Xby-7hIS9Sa2DGQTKBxWwyuuCc0z6UqrUivMShJuCRplok6oKduL8AOAmoyabaDKEBWwnE/s1600/Child8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XUA7NQZeP7uY4nh2z2BLU-HNUoGQ7L6TXtqUxXiQvBO-hiPMwLqPO1v4cXJthTzsFgz6U-Xby-7hIS9Sa2DGQTKBxWwyuuCc0z6UqrUivMShJuCRplok6oKduL8AOAmoyabaDKEBWwnE/s640/Child8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-primary education has now become important for children of the age group 3 years – 6 years</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The demands of the competitive world today have put immense pressure on parents and their children to perform better than others and excel in academic life. Pre-primary education has now become important for children of the age group 3 years – 6 years. And, with the lack of family support, in nuclear families of all socio-economic backgrounds, pre-primary schooling is a necessity.<br />
<br />
So, Rakhi Talwade, a corporation communications executive working in a PR firm in Mumbai and her maid Shanti Parab, both drop their respective children to day-care centres before they leave for work. While Rakhi’s three-year-old daughter goes to a private nursery school that offers facilities of day care and pre-primary schooling, Shanti drops off her two and half-year-old son to a crèche run specifically for children of migrant workers. “The crèche is my lifeline and it ensures that my older daughter can go to school rather than looking after her younger brother at home,” comments Shanti.<br />
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Rakhi, on the other hand, can afford a full-time nanny at home but sends her daughter to the nursery, primarily to prepare her for the admission process she will soon face. “I want to send my daughter to the best school in Mumbai and it is important to lay the right foundation at an early stage and prepare her for the demands in the future.”<br />
<br />
In India, pre-primary education is also called ‘kindergarten’ (KG) which means children’s garden. So, pre-primary education includes playschools, nurseries, lower/junior KG and upper/senior KG. The structure, curriculum and activities vary in pre-schools vary around the world. In India, many schools have their own nursery and kindergarten facilities and the children directly get promoted to Class 1 (primary school) after completing their upper KG.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465368550033758674.post-41284573360711444432019-12-31T08:28:00.000-08:002020-04-21T05:56:09.697-07:00Sexual abuse of children at school rampant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>By Rashmi Singhvi</b></i><br />
<br />
Sexual abuse one of the most rampant offences perpetrated against school children. In most cases, the child is not even aware of what is being done to him or even understand the gravity of the situation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5DAs1N_3cIiBxdKH1Fz7r7UQq8BGsv5Z3BiUgPW_dAc6Ya6YxSJ-5yUrdARTN7U6yhh2PKdEv5tZ6p565rVtEhwy2bFAfkfRKlgGDkVa3ZTeSPcoWG3UVRwqnaA_8lLA2PVcxARMV7TB/s1600/rape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5DAs1N_3cIiBxdKH1Fz7r7UQq8BGsv5Z3BiUgPW_dAc6Ya6YxSJ-5yUrdARTN7U6yhh2PKdEv5tZ6p565rVtEhwy2bFAfkfRKlgGDkVa3ZTeSPcoWG3UVRwqnaA_8lLA2PVcxARMV7TB/s640/rape.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In most instances, it is the protector that becomes the predator and perpetrates heinous crimes against children</td></tr>
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Given the rising spate of children being sexually abused in pre-primary schools the worries of parents have no limits. Often, the child does not even tell his or her parents about such incidents because of shame and ‘humiliation’ and for the fear of being judged.<br />
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So who does the child face threat from? The answer is, from anyone and everyone – teachers, principal, peons, janitors, maids, cleaners, drivers, guards, other students, etc.<br />
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The school staff has the responsibility to ensure protection and well-being of children. However, in most instances, it is the protector that becomes the predator and perpetrates heinous crimes against children. So, background check of everyone who works in the school is of utmost importance.</div>
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