My biannual visits to India usually include school visits to
a variety of early childhood centers. I am always struck by how many new
schools for young children are opened each year and quickly fill up to capacity,
highlighting the dearth of good preschools even in the heart of urban centers.
It seems that new schools cannot mushroom fast enough to keep pace with the
burgeoning populations in Indian cities. My most recent visits included a new
private preschool and day care in Mumbai, and a small one-room preschool for
street children located in a high-crime area in the heart of Kolkata. Both
these schools are as different as day and light, and yet both these schools
share the same core beliefs: valuing the child, and teaching with passion and
commitment.
Earlier this week in Mumbai I was scheduled to speak at a
new preschool where I have been a founding consultant. The Courtyard Day Care
and Early Learning Center accepts infants, toddlers and preschool-aged
children. It was launched in August 2013 and is marking its first anniversary
this summer. Nestled in the heart of a busy bustling neighborhood of South
Mumbai, The Courtyard is located on the ground floor of a large commercial
complex. But once inside visitors are enthralled by the multiple rooms with
hardwood floors, brightly painted walls, as well as the colorful artwork of
children that is displayed profusely within the school. It is a space that
promises children and their families safe nurturing. It is a space that is open
to diverse ideas from within the field of early education, and one that will
support a balance between imaginative play and academic work. I met with the
parents and teachers to discuss topics in early childhood education and was
just delighted with the passion, dedication and commitment to early learning that
they demonstrated.
A few months back when I was in Kolkata presenting at a
conference, my friend and colleague took me to visit a small one-room preschool
called Naba Disha, managed by the NGO Vikramshila and located in a high crime
area. Some years ago the founder of the NGO (an experienced early childhood
educator who has started and managed other schools for street children) was
approached by the local police to start an educational program for the street
children in this neighborhood with the hope that over the years it would
decrease the crime rate in the area. The lack of space did not deter those who
were involved. In a decision that was based on sheer imagination, innovation
and determination, a large garbage receptacle that measured approximately 30x10
feet was cleaned out, painted, equipped with toys and learning materials, and
voila! A school was ready to offer early learning experiences. The founder
combined her Montessori training with some core ideas of child-centered
progressive education, trained a couple of local women to teach the children,
and successfully created a wonderful learning environment in which children
love to be and which continues to thrive today. The rich array of learning
materials that are mostly teacher made and locally found demonstrate clever
imagination and promise a culturally relevant experience for the children in
the classroom.
Yes, there is a dire need for good schools for young
children regardless whether they belong to economically privileged or
disadvantaged families. And yes, good early childhood education can happen in
small spaces or large, in affluent areas or slums, with store-bought or
teacher-made materials, in English or Bengali. What matters most is teachers’
dedication, their love for children, their desire for the educational welfare
of children, and their belief that all children have the right to go to school
and experience joyful learning.
