An open letter to the PM on his
teacher’s day address from the
Early Childhood Association.
Lets celebrate, the Prime Minister addressed our Teachers on Teacher’s day. Keeping aside all the controversies and complaining about the PM’s address on Teachers day, we need to applaud that OUR PM addressed Teachers on teacher’s day. This will definitely have an impact on how parents, students, society views and respects teachers. It will definitely have an impact on changing the way we teach, if we listened and heard what the PM spoke.
He talked about his visit to Japan classrooms where he said he saw more learning and less teaching. He spoke about climate change that we have changed the way we treat our environment. He spoke about saving electricity in every house and each child learning to do so. He spoke about how our culture taught us to look at the moon as a ‘mama’ and sun as a ‘dada’ thus creating a loving relationship between mankind and nature.
We in the early childhood community are waiting with bated breath when our dear PM’s attention will be drawn to early years education and the teachers in the early childhood community. Because of dichotomy of ‘whose children are we? Are we part of women and child development ministry or HRD ministry?’, teachers in the early childhood community feel left out of the dialogue about teacher education and curriculum. Even this particular address was not directed for early childhood teachers as the invitation only went to elementary schools.
World leaders are now focusing on making early childhood a part of the post 2015 development framework and we urge our respected PM to please bring early childhood to the forefront of policy framework, regulation and tying teacher salaries to teacher qualification in the early years.
If you are reading this then you will realize the importance of the kindergarten teacher, because she taught you to read and write. We have great expectation from our PM that public schools especially anganwadis will be on par with private schools. China has a larger population that India but their public kindergartens are much better than their private kindergartens, thus ensuring that every child gets the best start in life even if their parents cannot afford.
A small request if the PM can address the teachers too and interact with them in his next address so that he is able to hear from the teacher about the trials and tribulations and triumphs that teachers face. It’s time to bring change in our schools, just getting technology is not enough, we also need to train our teachers and create comfortable environments for our children. Lets start the revamping of the education system in our country and lets also include the early years education in this change, afterall 98% of our brains develop in the first five years, then why do we ignore this age group? Why allow this ‘brain drain’ when we can tap and nurture it for the growth of this great country?
And yes, the first change that schools need to make is to stop telling their kids what to ask in these interactions with the PM. Each child had a well rehearsed question and it was quite apparent that teachers had trained them in what to ask and how to ask. Let the change start from something as simple as this, let kids speak their mind. Afterall our PM speaks his mind. Happy Teachers Day, to ALL Teachers.
Early Childhood Association- www.eca-india.org
Swati Popat Vats- President
@swatipopat, swatipopat@podar.net
Early Childhood Association.
Lets celebrate, the Prime Minister addressed our Teachers on Teacher’s day. Keeping aside all the controversies and complaining about the PM’s address on Teachers day, we need to applaud that OUR PM addressed Teachers on teacher’s day. This will definitely have an impact on how parents, students, society views and respects teachers. It will definitely have an impact on changing the way we teach, if we listened and heard what the PM spoke.
He talked about his visit to Japan classrooms where he said he saw more learning and less teaching. He spoke about climate change that we have changed the way we treat our environment. He spoke about saving electricity in every house and each child learning to do so. He spoke about how our culture taught us to look at the moon as a ‘mama’ and sun as a ‘dada’ thus creating a loving relationship between mankind and nature.
We in the early childhood community are waiting with bated breath when our dear PM’s attention will be drawn to early years education and the teachers in the early childhood community. Because of dichotomy of ‘whose children are we? Are we part of women and child development ministry or HRD ministry?’, teachers in the early childhood community feel left out of the dialogue about teacher education and curriculum. Even this particular address was not directed for early childhood teachers as the invitation only went to elementary schools.
World leaders are now focusing on making early childhood a part of the post 2015 development framework and we urge our respected PM to please bring early childhood to the forefront of policy framework, regulation and tying teacher salaries to teacher qualification in the early years.
If you are reading this then you will realize the importance of the kindergarten teacher, because she taught you to read and write. We have great expectation from our PM that public schools especially anganwadis will be on par with private schools. China has a larger population that India but their public kindergartens are much better than their private kindergartens, thus ensuring that every child gets the best start in life even if their parents cannot afford.
A small request if the PM can address the teachers too and interact with them in his next address so that he is able to hear from the teacher about the trials and tribulations and triumphs that teachers face. It’s time to bring change in our schools, just getting technology is not enough, we also need to train our teachers and create comfortable environments for our children. Lets start the revamping of the education system in our country and lets also include the early years education in this change, afterall 98% of our brains develop in the first five years, then why do we ignore this age group? Why allow this ‘brain drain’ when we can tap and nurture it for the growth of this great country?
And yes, the first change that schools need to make is to stop telling their kids what to ask in these interactions with the PM. Each child had a well rehearsed question and it was quite apparent that teachers had trained them in what to ask and how to ask. Let the change start from something as simple as this, let kids speak their mind. Afterall our PM speaks his mind. Happy Teachers Day, to ALL Teachers.
Early Childhood Association- www.eca-india.org
Swati Popat Vats- President
@swatipopat, swatipopat@podar.net
37 comments:
ma'am heard & watched what PM sir said about the change he would like to bring in the present education system.And ma'am I agree what is written in your letter.Because early education years are very important& that was missing in the whole program. On teachers day I was expecting sir to talk to the experts of education field & If students get good early childhood education then they face any problem in life they will go for the right choice.
I would like to congratulate sir for the step taken.
As rightly said by you Ma'am, early childhood education needs to be equally focused and addressed by our govt. Further he also said the importance of play,skill development,cleanliness which we are practicing under your guidance. Thank you Ma'am for leading us.
Truly agree with Ma'am,only technology is not enough to bring change.A stress free environment is also essential.Early childhood education is necessary which develops holistic development.Early childhood Education must also be included for the great change of this country..
What an excellent address to all the teachers ,motivating and inspiring the young genre to acknowledge this noble profession.But as truly noted ma'am the early childhood education needs to be recognised and applauded as the other countries.And in the infrastructure the early childhood needs to be in focus of any school.Thank you once again ma'am for voicing early childhood education concern..
I still remember the fragrance of the perfume my Kindergarten teacher used to apply,it was a fragrance that reminded me of the fun we used to have in school,the stories we used to hear ,touching her hair used to make me feel on top of the world . A teacher is always special because she not only teaches you numbers,letters and concepts but she grooms you how to apply this knowledge in every setting that you will face in life ahead be it as a wife,mother ,at your work place or simply with friends...everything that we think or do finds connections with our school life and our teacher...we are groomed for life . It's important that each member of the society gives the teacher the respect and acknowledgement they deserve of their contributions to the future generation.
One thing we must preserve in children is their natural ability to speak,be curious and explore. In my journey as a teacher I learnt maximum from my students hence it's a two way process the more difference you make in the life of your students the better equipped you are to be a better teacher . This article truly took me back to my school days and the importance of the noble profession call TEACHING.
Yes our Govt. should also give equal importance to Early childhood education. Bcoz, it plays an important role for the Holistic development in each and every child’s life . Our PM discussed about importance of play, skill development , cleanliness, basic right and personal hygiene which we are already practicing under your guidance Ma’am. We always take care of each and every child’s self esteem and always create comfortable environments for our children. Thank you once again ma'am for raising this point and concern about early childhood education. We are lucky that we are a part of Early childhood education.
When PM Sir was talking about skill based education,toilets for girls,cleanliness,i was feeling proud that I am the part of Podar & under the guidance of leader like you & we are practicing all these since long time.
Ma`am thanks for focusing on the Early child education & writing this article.
Ma'am, change in preschool education has began from PJK. What you mentioned about Anganwadi is really true, Govt. should focus on this balwadis.Govt.has it's program which is called as "ICDS"
The Integrated Child Development Sevices Programme aims at providing services to pre-school children in an integrated manner so as to ensure proper growth and development of children in rural, tribal and slum areas. ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme.
ICDS -- In Maharashtra
There are 553 projects in Maharashtra out of which:
364 projects in Rural areas.
85 projects in Tribal areas.
104 projects in Urban Slum areas.
Total population of the children of 0-6 years of age is 1,31,87,087 in Maharashtra State (as per census 2001).
The population of the children 0-6 years of age in the areas covered by ICDS scheme in Maharashtra is about 86,31,910.
There are 88,272 Anganwadi functioning Under ICDS scheme.
If the no of children are in million, how we can close our eyes towards the future of INDIA?
We love INDIA and if we want a superpower, definitely we should concentrate on early education as 98% brain develops between 0-6years.
Ma'am, thanks behalf of all preschool teachers for giving such a meaningful thought to education system.
Vaishali Joshi.
Yes, Ma'am I really respect your thinking"Every child should get the best start in life even if the parents cannot afford"really great thinking and our Govt. also give equal frame to all pre-school section.
We feel very proud to be part of podar under the guidance of great educationalist and coach like you.
It is a wonderful article addresses to all the pre-primary teachers.Thank you ma'am.
I really liked the article &his title "an open letter to the Pm on his Teacher's day address.
Focus to be given to early child hood education and change in the present system of education.
It was indeed a wonderful speech and a Q&A session with children by our honorable Prime Minister. At the same time, I felt so proud and happy that under Swati Ma’am’s guidance all the things which PM suggested, we are doing since long back.
When PM talked about connection with nature and Chanda mama- It reminded me of helping children watch Moon & Mars through telescope during overnight camps.
When PM talked about environment – It reminded me of the awareness program done by children during Ganapati utshav.
When PM talked about ‘digital India’ – It reminded me of our tecnowiz and I pad projects. Also Swati Ma’am’s efforts to make teachers techno savvy.
When PM talked about ‘reading’ – It reminded me of children’s class room library books and Ma’am’s coaching and advice for teachers to Read and Read.
But when PM said why people still don’t take ‘teaching’ as a profession by choice, like doctor & engineer, I felt sad. I want to request our PM to recognize the amount of brain development happens in 0 to 6 years and Pre- primary teacher’s efforts in shaping children and future India. So that we get many more excellent pre primary teachers who join this profession by choice not by chance.
Very True, early childhood education requires govt. intervention to make the early years of child's life a pleasurable experience.
Yes Ma'am, Early childhood education is necessary which develops holistic development.
I totally agree with you ma'am that early childhood education is very important for base of the child. Early education years are very important and it should be equally focused for great change of this country.
Wonderful article an eye opener will be to those who think less for preprimary i am happy this letter gives each teacher thought in the letter there should be change in our pre primary education each child should enjoy less teaching and more experience along with the nature as said 98% of our brains develop in the first five years, then why do we ignore this age group? Why allow this ‘brain drain’ when we can tap and nurture it for the growth of this great country? Hope soon will get to see the change in our system this article will really work also mentioned about teachers salaries this was also important each and each point in the article makes you think how must you are in pre schools very proud to be a teacher.
Early childhood education needs to be focused and addressed by our government.
As usual a wonderful article Swati ma'am... Truely agree with you ma'am...
A wonderful An Open letter address to PM on the teachers. Its very important to focus more on Early childhood Education and bring about change in the current education system. So that the early years of children becomes a joyful experience throughout their lives.
It is really a very bold and strong advocation on our Director Madam's behalf to take the Early Childhood Care up to this platform and demand for bringing this field into equal focus and importance.
I take pride in being under your leadership.
A wonderful article addressed for all the pre-preschooler. I truly agree with you ma'am, that early childhood education is very important.I think so we all need to be focused on early childhood education & need to change the present education system.
It is the fact that brain develops within the first five years of a child. And we all being the pre-school educationist must demand for every child's right to education at the right time with the help of the brain development.And set a goal for the holistic development at this age. Thank you Swati madam for leading us on this education path.
True ma'am in the same spirit we are also waiting for the honorable PM's vision towards Early Childhood.
Dr. Radhakrishnan has stated: “You cannot make or build the nation by just bricks; you have to establish the minds of the young people. Then alone can the nation- building take place.” Thanks to our PM to pay special attention to students and teachers on occasion of Teachers Day. We have high hopes from our government in regards with the plans that it has for our education system and specially Early Childhood Education which is most neglected in our country as far as contribution from government is concerned.
It's time the world sits up and realizes the importance of early childhood education. Technological advancement is of little importance if the majority of the citizens are uneducated.
Truly said Ma'am,early childhood education should be equally focused and addressed by our government.The infrastructure in early childhood needs to be in focused in all schools.
"Every child should get the best start in life even if the parents cannot afford" a great thinking of the government for the betterment of children as well as country.
Director's letter to the PM highlighting the pertinence of early childhood education, and pleading to give equal importance for the same as other fields is very logical, which many people are not aware of. This is the need of the hour as there are maximum child abuse and early childhood education is taken for granted.
I like this blog as it rightly says foundation to be strong for the whole life building to stand on it. Its need of hour to think of tomorrows citizens not only after age of 5 but before that also...
Yes Ma'am, Early childhood education is necessary which develops holistic development.
Pre-primary education has become popular strategy to protection drop-out from formal education of children all over the world. Early Childhood Development (ECD) and pre-primary education are widely recognized as having a significant impact on the performance of children in basic education programmes. Pre-primary education would ensure a smooth transition to the primary education and lay the foundation for lifelong learning. Development of a child begins within the family and mostly depends on the parents. Educated parents are able to prepare their child for the smooth entry into formal education but no doubt uneducated parents are unable to do this. To apposite develop of a country education is crying need. So protection drop-out from formal education of child is most necessary for a nation. For this reason pre-primary education is especially important for a nation.This article focuses on 'let kids speak their mind.'
We are proud to be part of the early childhood education where we educate young generation and focus on the holistic development by using the Kiducation Philosophy developed by Swati Maam. Its time to be recognised and I thank Maam for speaking for us.
We are proud to be associated with early childhood educationist like you. Our goal of early child education should be to activate the child's own natural desire to learn.
THis is a wonderful article ma'am to motivate and inspire all teachers.And a true demand for bringing this field into equal focus and importance as if students get good early childhood education then if ever they face problems in life they will always find a right solution to it because of the strong foundation years of learning.
Truly said that early childhood needs to be focused and considered by the government as it plays important role in child's development in early age. We are proud to have a leader like you ma'am.
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