Draft National Education Policy

The recommendations of the draft National Education Policy 2019 regarding early childhood care and education reduce it to school preparedness, effectively risking all the achievements made so far in this sector. If implemented as such, the comprehensive approach of the National ECCE Policy 2013, where care, nutrition, health, and early learning are seen as inseparable elements assuring the holistic development of a child will give way to a split-system where early education is prioritised at the cost of all other components, raising fears of “schoolification” of early childhood years.

The Draft National Education Policy, 2019 strives to provide a vision, albeit not presenting any statistical basis or taking into account the sociopolitical and historical contexts, the regional or statewise variations and disparities, financial responsibilities, and the gains made by the earlier initiatives.