What co-location of Anganwadis with schools mean

The Centre has unveiled new guidelines to co-locate Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) with primary schools, aiming to create a seamless and child-friendly learning environment for children in their foundational years. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and WCD Minister Annapurna Devi jointly launched the initiative, designed to strengthen Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).

What Co-Location Means

Co-location refers to physically integrating AWCs within school campuses or mapping them to nearby schools where space constraints exist. Nearly 2.9 lakh of India’s 14 lakh Anganwadis already share premises with schools, but officials said a standardised framework was long overdue to ensure coordination.

Key Features of the Guidelines

The framework outlines child-friendly infrastructure, including safe entry and exit points, dedicated kitchens, clean toilets, and indoor and outdoor play areas. It also promotes monthly coordination meetings between Anganwadi workers and teachers, joint events like ECCE Days, and integrated activity calendars to smoothen children’s transition to Grade 1.

The curriculum will be aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022, with tools like Jaadui Pitara and the Aadharshila curriculum to make learning more play-based and activity-driven.

Prioritising the Vulnerable

States have been advised to prioritise co-location in tribal regions, migrant communities, and areas where Anganwadis lack proper infrastructure. Authorities also emphasised tracking children effectively through Poshan Tracker, UDISE+, and APAAR IDs to ensure continuity in education.

Aiming for Seamless Transitions

Officials believe the move will reduce dropouts, optimise resources, and improve learning outcomes, provided states ensure strong implementation and collaboration between schools and Anganwadis.