Page 31 - 10X GOOD Issue 17 October
P. 31

FROM






 CLASSROOM TO





 ECONOMY:   1. Start Age and Quality of Early Childhood        curiosity.





          Education
 The Power of   Limited and delayed access to pre-primary education,   The continued reliance on traditional teaching methods
                                                               limits the development of key foundational skills such
          especially in rural areas, deprives many children of
                                                               as problem-solving, logical reasoning, and conceptual
          timely and quality early learning opportunities. Early
                                                               understanding, especially in numeracy.
          childhood education is vital for fostering cognitive
 Foundational Learning  and language development, and without it, children’s   To address this, we need to focus on training primary
                                                               education teachers in effective pedagogical methods as
          readiness for elementary school is significantly affected.
                                                               part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
          The quality of early education varies greatly across
                                                               enhance the learning process and improve educational
          states and schools, with inconsistencies in curriculum,   Equipping teachers with the right skills will greatly
          teacher training, and infrastructure, leading to uneven   outcomes.
 The provision of foundational skills to children in our country   skill development among children.    3. Curriculum Design
 encounters significant challenges, particularly during the early stages   As a society, it’s crucial to provide every child with early   The curriculum is often not designed to meet the
                                                               specific needs of primary school students, with
 of education (pre-primary and primary levels). Addressing these issues   access to education that includes standardized facilities   insufficient emphasis on language development, basic
          and training, ensuring they have the foundation to
 requires urgent and collective action from all sectors of society  thrive and succeed in their future endeavors.  literacy, and numeracy skills.

          Raising awareness among parents about the importance   Lack of Contextualization: Teaching materials and
          of early admission to Anganwadi and pre-primary      curricula are frequently not adapted to the local
 he ineffective delivery of foundational   development, and poor foundational skills impede   schools and emphasizing the long-term benefits of early   context, language, and culture of the children. This
 skills in education has a profound impact   our ability to build a strong, innovative, and skilled   exposure to learning, is essential. Equipping Anganwadi   disconnect between what is taught and the children’s
 on our country’s economy. Foundational   workforce.  and pre-primary schools with proper facilities, trained   real-life experiences can hinder their ability to grasp
 skills—especially in literacy, numeracy,   teachers, nutritious meals, and medical care will also be   foundational concepts.
 T and socio-emotional development—are   The delivery of foundational skills to children in our   key to supporting children’s growth and development.
 critical for personal growth and employability, and   country faces numerous challenges.  These issues are   Modification of curriculum and creation of content
 the absence of these skills results in skill gaps,   particularly evident at the early stages of education   2. Teacher Training and Pedagogical Methods  which is relevant to local context is necessary.
 unemployment, and lower productivity. These in turn   (pre-primary and primary levels) and need urgent   Inadequate Teacher Training: Teachers, particularly in   Introducing English language skills at an early age is
 lead to reduced economic growth and lower income   attention from various quarters of society.  government and rural schools, often lack the necessary   essential to ensure that children become comfortable
 of the workforce enhancing income inequality.  training to effectively teach foundational skills. Many   with the language. In addition to language skills, it’s
 Some key factors impacting the effective delivery of   are unfamiliar with age-appropriate pedagogy or child-  crucial to incorporate innovative and simple methods to
 Education is a key driver of human capital   foundational skills include:  centred approaches that promote critical thinking and   teach numerical skills, making learning more engaging

 30                                                                                                         31
   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36