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.
