Guidelines launched to co-locate anganwadis with primary schools

The Union Education Ministry and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) on Wednesday unveiled guidelines for co-locating anganwadi centres with schools, a move aimed at ensuring smoother transition from pre-school to primary education.

Co-location means setting up anganwadi centres within school premises wherever feasible. Currently, of the 14 lakh anganwadi centres across the country, about 2.9 lakh are co-located. Where physical co-location is not possible, states have been asked to map the nearest school to the anganwadi to support continuity in learning.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan proposed the creation of a special learning module for anganwadi workers who have not studied up to Class 12, but wish to pursue further education. Stressing the role of technology, he said: “Anganwadi workers are the first teachers in a child’s life. With the use of AI, the teaching-learning process in Indian languages can be made even more effective.”

He also announced that nearly 2 lakh government and private high schools will be connected with broadband over the next three years. Referring to recent ASER and PARAKH data, Pradhan noted that learning outcomes of children in rural areas have now surpassed those in urban areas.

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure proper care and health for nearly 15 crore children in the country. Only then can the dream of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ and the vision of ‘NIPUN Bharat’ be fully realised,” he said.

The new guidelines also set accessibility standards: the distance between anganwadi centres and schools should not exceed 500 m in urban areas and 1 km in rural areas, though states can adjust these limits depending on geography and feasibility.

The government hopes that co-location will improve retention at the primary level and boost achievement across higher stages of learning.