‘Make government schools centres of excellence’

Early Childhood Care & Education day celebrated at SCERT Kohima

Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 16

The Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) Cell of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Nagaland along with In-service teacher trainees of the two-year diploma in foundational stage education celebrated ECCE Day at SCERT Kohima on April 16. This event is part of the course based learning experience and to promote the significance of ECCE.

Gracing the event as the special guest, Vikhweno Chale, Additional Secretary, Department of School Education, Govt of Nagaland, complimented the SCERT for organizing a well-developed program and equipping educators with innovative teaching skills, tools and the methodologies. Stating that 85% of the brain development occurs at the foundational stage, she said, “Therefore, appropriate care is very essential to nurture, to build and to take care of our children at this stage.”

Chale said that the Department of School Education and SCERT is making all efforts to shift the system of education, focusing on competency-based education, training teachers to go more deeper into understanding children in building their potentials, having more connections with students and real-life connections.

“We believe that through this shift, our learning becomes more deeper, more meaningful, more relevant and it is also applicable to the society, to the nation,” she said. “We can make our schools much better than the private schools, she said adding “if we are performing well, automatically people will love to come to our schools,” she said.

She asserted that the parents should have their first choice in admitting their children into government schools. She appealed the trainees to instill all the training tools, knowledge to students and increase the enrolment. Stating that the department is investing in teachers' training, she said, “When we invest in training our teachers, we are investing in our children's future.

Chale asked the teachers to take the training seriously and never grumble of being nominated for attending trainings. Stating that the Department of School Education and SCRT is making all efforts to meet many challenges being faced by the teachers and the department, she requested the teachers to share suggestions and recommendations “so that it will enable us to strengthen our education system, policies and holistic learning model.”

She also called upon the teachers to work and strive together to bring students’ holistic development and make government schools a centre of excellence.

‘Foundation of all future learning is laid in early years’
In keynote address, SCERT Director Kerüüpfeü Rupreo described ECCE Day as a celebration of childhood, a celebration of curiosity, creativity, and the joy of learning that begins in the earliest years of life.

Stating that today’s event also reflects a much larger national vision, Rupreo said, “The National Education Policy 2020 has placed unprecedented emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education. It clearly tells us that the foundation of all future learning is laid in the early years.”

Building on this, the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (2022) and the NCF for School Education (2023) have guided us to reimagine classrooms as joyful, play-based, activity-oriented spaces where children learn naturally and meaningfully, she said adding “This is a significant shift from teaching as instruction to teaching as facilitation, from rote learning to experiential learning and from uniform methods to developmentally appropriate practices.”

Stating that the children between 3 to 8 years are decisive, she said “This is when language develops, thinking begins to take shape, social and emotional skills are formed, and the child starts making sense of the world.”

Recognizing this, SCERT, through the Two-Year Diploma in Foundational Stage Education, has taken on the important responsibility of preparing teachers who can create classrooms that are joyful, inclusive, and responsive to children’s needs. This ECCE Day provides a live platform where ideas are not just discussed, but demonstrated, where innovation is not just spoken about, but experienced.

She stressed on the need to pay attention to how children are progressing-through simple, continuous and developmentally appropriate ways of assessment, as guided by NCF. “When we see learning corners, project displays, cultural and skill-based demonstrations, food and nutrition corners, and live classroom practices-we are actually seeing the spirit of NEP 2020 and NCF coming alive,” she said.

Expressing happiness that many of these practices are low-cost, locally adaptable, and rooted in our own context, the director said, “This is very important for a state like Nagaland, where community knowledge, culture, and local resources are rich and meaningful.” Let this grow into a sustained movement-across DIETs, across schools, and across communities, Rupreo said, adding that it can strengthen the partnership between schools and communities, ensuring that every child receives a nurturing, inclusive and meaningful early learning experience,” she said.

“While balancing classroom responsibilities, assignments, and workshops, our teacher trainees have shown remarkable sincerity and dedication in bringing this event to life. Their work today stands as a testament to what committed educators can achieve. It is a reflection of their journey from theory to practice,” said Veketulu Veyie, senior Lecturer, ECCE Cell, SCERT.

Imtimongba, GPS Impang, Chuchuyimlang and Toghunaka T Awomi, GPS Sahuboto shared their experiences. The ECCE Day witnessed screening of the project work undertaken by the trainees, showcasing context specific activities, creativity and innovations carried out in their respective schools. The programme also witnessed performance of Konyak lullaby “Nau ü Pu,” exhibition of various products and skill demonstration.