The second panel discussion of the EW ECE Global Conference 2014 on the subject ‘Best practices in ECCE – What Indian preschools need to learn and adapt’ was lively and engaging. The panel chaired by Summiya Yasmeen (SY), managing editor of EducationWorld, included Sapna Chauhan (SC), founder of Amiown preschools, Delhi; Prriety Gosalia (PG), co-founder and CEO of Leapbridge International preschools in Mumbai and Pune; Soniya Donison (SD), founder of Petals Montessori, Bangalore; Dr. Asha Singh (AS), assistant professor of child development at Lady Irwin College, Delhi and Komala Pannirselvam (KP), director customised programmes, Asian International College, Singapore. Excerpts from the 90-minute panel discussion: SY: India lags way behind in early childhood care and education. According to the Starting Well index of the Economist Intelligence Unit which surveyed ECCE systems in 45 countries, India ranks last, behind Ghana and Philippines. Asha, what are the best international ECCE practices we urgently need in India? AS: In India there are wide differences in the quality of ECCE provision. Some Indian preschools will score 3 on 10 while some may score 8 on 10, on a par with top preschools in OECD countries. The important thing is that with the formulation of the National Early Childhood Care and Education (NECCE) policy we have become conscious of the critical importance of ECCE. If India is low ranked in the Economist index, it’s because of the size of our population. We are not able to provide for all children. But though there are many excellent international practices in ECCE, we need to evolve our own syllabi and curriculums. As Gandhiji said, even as we keep our windows open to let in ideas from the world, we must not let our roots be shaken. If we adhere to the fundamental principles of ECCE — ensuring that teachers reach out to all children, provide space and facilities — we can adapt international practices to our local and cultural contexts. SY: Komala, Singapore has among the most evolved ECCE systems worldwide. What can Indian preschools learn from Singapore? KP: Singapore has invested heavily in ECCE. The ministry of education has launched several initiatives including preparation of a curriculum framework for kindergartens which is reviewed every five years, mandating stringent professional qualifications for ECCE educators and promoting an Early Childhood Development Agency to oversee child care and preschool education. Every preschool in Singapore needs to adhere to the Child Care Act and cannot operate without a licence. Moreover all preschools in Singapore must follow the i-teach system which prescribes six best teaching and learning practices in ECCE. There’s much that government administrators and ECCE providers in India can learn from the Singapore model. SY: Prriety, can you share some of the international best practices you have successfully implemented in your Leapbridge preschools? PG: There are certain universally accepted benchmarks for high quality ECCE. However all best practices need to be localised and contextualised before implementation in our schools. Particularly, foreign curriculums must be modified to suit local and cultural contexts. Unfortunately, Indian academia lacks a research culture in education. Therefore in too many preschools, curriculums are unsuitable…
