On Wednesday, September 3, the Centre launched guidelines on the co-location of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) with primary schools, making provisions for joint planning by teachers and Anganwadi workers, curriculum alignment, parental engagement, and child-friendly learning spaces to strengthen early childhood care and education (ECCE).
The guidelines were jointly unveiled by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Annapurna Devi.
Officials said that while nearly 2.9 lakh of India’s 14 lakh AWCs are already located on school premises, there was no standard mechanism to ensure coordination.
“These guidelines have been prepared to create a proper system so that states and Union Territories can adopt uniform practices,” a senior WCD ministry official said.
The framework specifies two models: physical co-location of AWCs inside schools with adequate space and facilities, or mapping of AWCs to nearby schools where direct co-location is not possible.
It also lays down norms such as separate entry and exit gates for small children, dedicated kitchens for mid-day meals, indoor and outdoor play areas, and child-friendly toilets.
To foster convergence, the guidelines mandate monthly coordination meetings between Anganwadi workers and school teachers, joint events like ECCE Days, ‘Praveshotsav’ and parent-teacher meetings, and unified activity calendars.
They also recommend reconciliation of child data to avoid duplication of services and smoothen the transition to Grade 1.
The curriculum for pre-school children is to be aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022, while tools like ‘Jaadui Pitara’ and ‘Aadharshila’ Curriculum have been suggested to promote play-based, activity-driven learning.
States have also been advised to prioritise co-location of AWCs that lack buildings or serve children from weaker sections, tribal areas, and migrant families.
Another senior official underlined the importance of ensuring that children enter class 1 at the right age.
“Our attempt is to align the Gross Enrolment Ratio and the Net Enrolment Ratio so that children of the appropriate age are in the right class. No matter whether a child spends three years in an Anganwadi or in a pre-primary elsewhere, when he enters class 1, his learning level should match his age,” she said.
Stressing the need for robust tracking, the official said databases such as Poshan Tracker and UDISE+ should be interoperable to monitor every child, while the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR ID) could eventually be extended to cover children from the age of three.
“We are in discussions with UIDAI so that a unique number given at birth can help track a child throughout their education journey,” the official added.
On language and pedagogy, the official noted that the National Education Policy (NEP) stresses teaching in the child’s mother tongue.
“We are trying to ensure children receive foundational education in the language they speak at home. Alongside, we are mapping every play and activity to specific competencies, which states can adapt in their own way,” she said.
The official emphasised that while issuing guidelines is the easy part, effective implementation will be the real challenge.
“We already have 2.9 lakh co-located Anganwadis, and many more can be integrated with the 9 lakh-plus schools that have class 1. Where co-location is not possible, centres will be mapped with nearby schools to prevent dropouts during the transition. With joint effort, we can make this work,” she said.
The officials said the move also responds to challenges flagged in field studies, where AWCs running in verandas or temporary sheds often lacked electricity, water, and play spaces.
The new system will optimise resources, reduce dropouts, and improve learning outcomes, they added.
