Enforcement of Minimum age criteria for play schools gains steam
In year 2017, NCPRC (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) had come up with guidelines for Enforcement of Minimum age criteria for play schools along with other key measures especially targeted at the private channel which is largely unregulated and is operational under varied names such as play groups, play schools, pre-schools, nursery schools etc. Following were key areas that were addressed as part of the guidelines:
- Define minimum age criteria for admission to play schools.
- Bring inclusiveness and uniformity in all educational institutions providing pre-school education.
- To prevent violation of child rights and any kind of abuse against children in the age 3- 6 years by regulating such educational institutions providing pre-school education.
- To achieve national as well as international commitment of pre-school education for children in the age 3-6 years and preparing them for primary education.
- To remove ambiguity in the early childhood education (ECE) system in India by regulating such institutions.
The overall objective was to regulate the play schools. The minimum age criteria stated as per NCPRC regulatory guidelines state that any child below 3 years of age cant be admitted to play schools. It is however worth noting that the scope of the regulation does not apply to organizations other than play schools that are providing any kind of early childhood services to children in the age group of 0-3 years. It also states that the regulation does not apply to established schools under RTE act that impart pre-school education.
Effectively, the only entity impacted are the registered/unregistered play schools or pre-schools that would now be unable to take admissions before the child turns 3.
Till last year, no steps were taken to ensure implementation of these regulatory guidelines. But in March/April this year, many play schools have got a notification from NCPRC requesting for key details including age of child and steps taken at school to ensure safety of the child.
Reference: http://ncpcr.gov.in/showfile.php?lang=1&level=1&&sublinkid=933&lid=1271
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Last Updated on April 11, 2019 by Go4Reviews
Thanks for sharing the reference to safety guidelines
My school has got ncprc notice last week. We have submitted the reply but this minimum age criteria thing is really confusing.
Where is your school. Mine is in Gurgaon and yes they are asking for age details. May be groups can file a case against this age limit thing to get more clarity.