Govt plans Anganwadi centres at school campuses
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 09 2022: Director (social welfare) Ng Uttam has said that instruction has been issued to construct Anganwadi centres inside the campus of schools as per the new education policy and the government has initiated steps to allow admission of Anganwadi students to class I directly.

When queried about Anganwadi centres of the state, Ng Uttam told The People's Chronicle that steps have been taken up to allow admission of young children from Anganwadi centre to class I directly so that these children could start pre-primary education under the new education policy.

Apart from this, new Anganwadi centres will be constructed inside the campus of schools and government has given instruction in this regard.

Construction of new Anganwadi centre will be taken up at unused government land if unable to find land inside school campus, he said, adding that there are 11,510 Anganwadi centres including mini-Anganwadi in Manipur.

Anganwadi centres provide education to children from three to six years but it has become a norm among parents in Manipur to send their children to school when their child attains three years of age and accordingly no child is left for beginning education at Anganwadi centres.

With the coming of new education policy, government is planning to start pre-primary schooling at Anganwadi centres in close coordination between social welfare and education departments.

Though Anganwadi centres provide non-formal education in the past, the new policy will allow admission of children from Anganwadi centres directly to class I .

To make this happen, one primary teacher each for every Anganwadi centre of the state will be deputed from education department and minimum qualification for recruitment of Anganwadi teachers will be class XII, he said, adding that training of Anganwadi workers will begin soon in coordination with SCERT.

He also said that identification of primary teachers for deputation to Anganwadi centres will begin soon and this will allow parents to start education of their children at Anganwadi centres free of cost and prevent them from sending their children to private day-care centres.

According to Ng Uttam, government has plan to upgrade Anganwadi centres having proper building to Saksham Anganwadi which will have TV arid internet facilities to enable children to sing rhymes and take part in other activities with enthusiasm.

Chandel district being declared as aspirational district, 30 Anganwadi centres of the district will be upgraded to Saksham Anganwadi in the first phase and the second phase could cover entire districts of the state, he said.

Ng Uttam further informed that government gets report that children do not like packaged nutritious foods provided at Anganwadi centres and so started discussion for providing food like by children.

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