Gujarat govt directs preschools to not admit kids younger than 3 years

AHMEDABAD: The state government, on May 15, introduced the Gujarat State Pre-Primary Education Policy, 2023, to regulate the unorganized preschool sector. The policy, along the lines of the National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy and the National Education Policy, stipulates that the children in such facilities should be at least three years old as of June 1 of that academic year.
Some parent bodies welcomed the move even as preschool operators were cautious of its implications.
A top education department official said that the sector is currently unorganized.
"Majority of these schools function from residential premises, have no overarching regulatory framework related to the course, fees charged, and quality of education. There are no definite numbers, too, of such facilities operating. The policy will help address several such issues," said the official.
Swati Popat-Vats, president of the Early Childhood Association, said that the association welcomes the regulations by the state government.
"If these regulations help bring about quality, they must be welcomed. There are issues related to age, classes, registration process, etc., for which we will seek a meeting with the government," she said.
She added that the primary issue is the acceptable age as three years instead of four as recommended by the National Curriculum Framework 2022. The NCF is aimed at the holistic growth of children between the age of 3-8, a crucial period for mental development.
A city-based operator of a preschool brand said the rules are still ambiguous, and another draft may address the concerns.
"It's a welcome move to bring the preschools under the ambit of a policy. But one must understand that most preschools are run by sole proprietors or in partnerships. While the Building Use (BU) permission is sought as one of the documents, would a residential BU be acceptable? The teacher and caretaker staff qualifications are discussed, but there is no word about the optimal ratio. The same goes for the 'sufficient play area' rule," said the operator.
All the existing preschools have been asked to register within 12 months, and new preschools would only be allowed to operate with registration.
As mentioned in the policy document, the preschools would also be under the jurisdiction of DPEO or DEO.