LKG and UKG classes are finally set to begin in anganwadis functioning in middle school campuses across the State from June 3. The State government had proposed to start kindergarten classes back in December 2018 itself, when it planned to put a Montessori-based system in place.
A senior official from the Department of Elementary Education said that the children enrolled in the anganwadis would be put into LKG and UKG classes based on their age.
“The schools have been instructed to put up information boards prominently on their campuses announcing that admissions are open so that more children can enrol. As a pilot project, the classes will begin in 2,381 anganwadis across the State and cover 52,933 children,” he said. Officials under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) have also been involved in enrolment drives for the same.
Declining enrolment
The State government had proposed the introduction of LKG and UKG classes in anganwadis with the involvement of the school education and social welfare departments since they felt that the number of students in the age group of 4 to 5 years had been declining in anganwadis as parents had turned to private schools.
The Elementary Education Department has further said that secondary grade teachers who are in surplus at government and government-aided primary and middle schools would be deployed in these anganwadi centres. A section of teachers associations had expressed dissatisfaction at this but the Madras High Court recently upheld the State’s decision.
“The Samagra Siksha Abhiyan will kickstart training programmes from June 6 where master resource persons will be initially trained and they will in turn, train teachers in 32 districts. Montessori experts, teachers and early educators who were part of framing the pre-school syllabus will be involved in this exercise,” the Elementary Education Department has said.
Students will be given uniforms, footwear, educational materials such as books, crayons and will stand to receive a completion certificate at the end of two years.