Why is it in the news?

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education (NECCE) and National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation (NFECS), in alignment with National Education Policy 2020.

NECCE 2024: From Three to Six Years

• Covers all domains of development as per the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage 2022 (NCF-FS), encompassing physical/motor, cognitive, language and literacy, socioemotional, cultural/aesthetic, and positive habits.
• Objective is to enhance the quality of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at Anganwadi Centres by prioritizing competency-based lesson plans and activities, presented in a simple and user-friendly manner.
• Promotes a comprehensive approach to ECCE by integrating a variety of activities including in-centre and at-home, indoor and outdoor, child-led and educator-led, to cater to diverse learning needs.
• Emphasizes inclusion of Divyang children in every activity, fosters community engagement, and ensures a continuum of home learning activities to reinforce concepts introduced at Anganwadi Centres.

NFECS 2024: From Birth to Three Years

• Objective is to empower caregivers and Anganwadi Workers to provide holistic early stimulation through responsive caregiving and opportunities for early learning, thereby promoting optimal development of children’s body and brain.
• Focuses on the principles of “serve and return,” emphasizing the importance of responsive interactions between caregivers and children, caregiver’s three acts: love, talk, play, and positive guidance to facilitate holistic development.
• Recognizes the critical importance of early experiences in shaping brain development and lifelong learning, advocating for a holistic approach to early childhood stimulation that encompasses physical, cognitive, socioemotional, and linguistic development.