Govt committed to strengthening foundational edu system: Minister

Minister for Education, Social Welfare, Health and Medical Education, Sakina Itoo, addressed the orientation programme for capacity building of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Aayas (helpers) at J&K State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) at Srinagar.

The minister emphasised the government’s commitment to nurturing young minds through inclusive, child-centred and play-based learning. She added that this orientation programme is a significant step towards strengthening the foundation of quality education in Jammu and Kashmir.

The minister highlighted that early education serves as the cornerstone for cognitive, emotional and social growth, and lays the groundwork for lifelong learning and success of a child. “Early childhood care is the most formative stage in child’s life and the government’s vision is to ensure that every child in Jammu and Kashmir receives quality early education to instil curiosity, creativity and confidence among children,” she stated.

The minister underlined the government’s vision to strengthen early childhood care and foundational education system in J&K, highlighting the need for trained and empathetic helpers to ensure holistic development for all children, especially those from marginalised sections. She added that orientation programmes like these are vital in realising this goal.

While speaking on the significance of the orientation programme, minister Sakina called upon the participants and ‘aayas’ to make most of this orientation in order to acquaint themselves about the ideals of basic education and care for early childhood. She added that the ‘aayas’ are very talented and possess high educational qualifications for nurturing and supporting young children in government institutions through improved care, nutrition and psychosocial support.

The minister lauded the efforts of ‘aayas’ for working dedicatedly and honestly, highlighting that they have active role to play in advancing the objectives of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places strong emphasis on early childhood education.

Additional Chief Secretary and Director, SCERT, Shantamanu — in his address — applauded the collaborative efforts of SCERT, Jammu and Kashmir Association of Social Workers (JKASW) and UNICEF, highlighting that this programme defines the commitment of department to strengthen ECCE practices across Jammu and Kashmir. He encouraged educators and caregivers to adopt innovative and inclusive teaching methodologies that align with local culture, language and community needs.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Joint Director Education, Syed Shabir, highlighted broad contours of this orientation programme, adding that the focus of orientation is to improve the understanding of the participants on ECCE and roles and responsibility of ECCE ‘aayas’.

The orientation of ‘aayas’ was facilitated by Babra Shabir (SCERT) and Ambreen Bashir (JKASW) with a focus to improve the understanding of participants on ECCE and roles and responsibility of ECCE ‘aayas’.

This orientation of ‘aayas’ marks a significant milestone in advancing Early Childhood Care and Education across Jammu and Kashmir. The partnership among the Government, JKASW and UNICEF signals expanded opportunities for ECCE ‘aayas’ to receive specialised training and resources, ultimately benefiting thousands of young learners from vulnerable backgrounds.