IGNOU-Agartala and UNICEF to offer certificate course in early childhood care, education

The INGNOU and UNICEF course has been specially framed for Anganwadi workers/ teachers teaching the preschool children between 3-6 years and specifically the Bal Vatika class of 5-6-year-olds and will provide skilled manpower to the government.

Agartala: In a bid to provide skilled manpower among the Anganwari workers and preschool teachers, the regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Regional Centre in Agartala, in collaboration with UNICEF, is offering a certificate course in early childhood care and education, as per a statement issued by Arobindo Mahato, Regional Director, IGNOU Agartala.

He said that to meet the need-based quality education and skilled manpower, the Indira Gandhi National Open University and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) collaborated for the development of a Certificate Programme in Early Childhood Care And Education. The course has been specially framed for Anganwadi workers/ teachers teaching the preschool children between 3-6 years and specifically the Bal Vatika class of 5-6-year-olds.

An MoU has been signed between IGNOU and UNICEF for the program development and implementation on 7th October 2022 at IGNOU HQ’s, New Delhi, Dr Mahato said. The course is being developed in line with National Education Policy 2020 having print and video based delivery mechanisms and will be in offer soon to the learners.

Over the significance of the course, Mahato said that for a state like Tripura this course will be of immense help looking at the present scenario where there is a lack of skilled manpower in Early Childhood Care and Education. The Regional Director said that this course will fill the gap of manpower shortage and expertise in the relevant field not only in Tripura but all over the country.

Mahato said that Quality Early Childhood Care has now become inseparable and is the need of the hour considering the various constraints in proper caregiving and raising of children. “As play-based pedagogy plays an important role in the development of a child, proper molding of the young ones by experts in the field becomes extremely necessary,” he said.