Govt Issues Guidelines for Co-locating Anganwadis with Schools Nationwide

In a landmark initiative to strengthen early childhood education and ensure a seamless transition from preschool to formal schooling, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), in collaboration with the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, today released the Guidelines for Co-location of Anganwadi Centres with Schools at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The event was presided over by Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi, and Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, in the presence of senior officials, State and UT representatives, and Anganwadi workers from across India.

“One Campus, One Vision”

The initiative, described as “From Anganwadi to school – one campus, one vision,” aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to build a strong human capital foundation for a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Currently, over 2.9 lakh Anganwadi Centres are already functioning within school campuses. The newly issued guidelines provide operational clarity, standards, and implementation strategies to help States and Union Territories expand the model further.

The co-location model aims to integrate Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) with formal schooling, ensuring a continuum of care, learning, nutrition, and health services in one unified space.

Ministers Emphasize Strong Foundations

Speaking at the launch, Smt. Annpurna Devi emphasized that co-located Anganwadi Centres strengthen the foundation of a child’s learning journey. She noted that this integration will ensure smoother transitions from preschool learning to primary classes, contributing to holistic child development.

“These guidelines will serve as a roadmap for States and UTs to scale up integrated models and realize the Prime Minister’s vision of a healthy, educated, and empowered young generation,” she said.

In his address, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan underlined that early childhood education is the bedrock of lifelong learning. He highlighted that integrating Anganwadis with schools would strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), one of the key pillars of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

“This joint effort of the MoWCD and MoE is not only about classrooms; it is about nurturing India’s human capital to achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat,” he said.

Key Features of the Guidelines

The guidelines outline several critical aspects for implementation:

• Infrastructure Planning: Anganwadis co-located on school premises to share resources like playgrounds, libraries, and sanitation facilities.

• Curriculum Integration: ECCE curriculum aligned with early grades, ensuring continuity in teaching-learning methods.

• Teacher Training: Joint professional development programmes for Anganwadi workers and primary school teachers to promote pedagogical synergy.

• Nutrition and Health Services: Continued focus on mid-day meals, growth monitoring, and health check-ups for children transitioning to school.

• Community Participation: Strengthening parental involvement and local governance in child education and development.

Strengthening Inter-Ministerial Convergence

The release of the guidelines is expected to deepen convergence between MoWCD and MoE, ensuring that child health, nutrition, and education are addressed holistically. States and UTs have been encouraged to adopt innovative models suited to local contexts while adhering to the national framework.

Officials noted that the co-location initiative will also contribute to reducing dropout rates, improve attendance, and bridge rural-urban disparities in access to quality education.

A Step Toward Human Capital Development

By enabling children to experience a smooth transition from Anganwadi centres to schools, this initiative strengthens the first eight years of a child’s life—widely regarded as the most critical period for cognitive, emotional, and physical development.

The initiative is seen as a cornerstone in India’s efforts to nurture an educated, healthy, and skilled future workforce, thereby reinforcing the long-term vision of a Viksit Bharat @2047.