Importance of Preschool Education
February 17, 2020Before beginning formal education, usually a child attends a preschool. As the name suggests a preschool is prior to the formal schooling. The main objective of a preschool is to make the child ready for formal education. The age-group of preschool-going children is such that they require a lot of exposure for their gross motor and fine motor skills development. In simple language, physical development is quite critical at that age.
Along with physical development, social and communication skills are also important as it is the first time that the child is exposed to the outside world. Before this the child is mostly in her comfort zone at home with familiar people surrounding the child. Thus, preschool education allows children to mingle with the other children of similar age group. They learn to interact with their peers and learn to share. Children are also made to learn to understand and follow instructions and directions. Overall, the preschool education lays a very important foundation for the child. Therefore, parents these days are very aware and conscious about their decision of preschool for their child.
Preschool education is popularly known as Early Childhood and Care Education (ECCE). While many may think that preschool education is just child’s play, it requires a lot of planning and thoughtful execution. Though, there are many preschools open in every nook and corner of big and small cities, not all preschools are up to the mark. Many people do not take the curriculum of preschool very seriously. In their opinion, preschool education is all about learning the alphabet, numbers and other concepts that are actually taught when formal education begins. While, there is no harm if the child knows letters of the alphabet and some numbers, the focus in preschool education is much different. Therefore it is quite important for preschool owners to take care of their curriculum and the way it is delivered.
As the market of preschools is huge, many reputed organisations have started their giving their preschool franchises. One of the most renowned names is the Millennium World School Franchise. It is a part of the Millennium group of schools and the organization offers franchise for schools – preschool franchise, high school franchise, and K-12 franchise. They have won several awards including many for their unique curriculum. The Millennium Schools is a trusted brand and ranks in the top 10 CBSE schools in India.
Early childhood and care education has gained importance in India in the recent years. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) has laid down guidelines with respect to the preschool education. Organisations and publishers who create the preschool curriculum and run and manage preschools must follow these guidelines. Preschool education must be taken seriously by owners, teachers and parents as it is critical stage and age for children. Preschools must not be considered a mere place where the child needs to be prepared for admission in a formal school. It is much beyond that. If the curriculum and its delivery are up to the mark, then automatically the child will be able to seek admission is a good formal school later. Rote learning and pressure of academics is a complete no at this stage.