Why Does Early Childhood Care & Education Matter in India?

The first eight years of a child’s life are the most critical for development. During this phase, nearly 85% of brain development takes place, making it a decisive period for shaping how they think, learn, and interact with the world.

Yet, many children in India still miss out on structured early childhood learning. This gap often leads to struggles in foundational literacy, numeracy, and social skills later in school. This is where early childhood care and education become essential.

Aligned with NEP 2020, ECCE focuses on holistic growth, combining cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development.

What Is Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE)?

ECCE refers to a structured approach to nurturing children from birth to eight years through a mix of learning, care, nutrition, and emotional support.

Early childhood care and education goes beyond academics. It focuses on building foundational skills through play-based, activity-driven, and experiential learning. This can happen at home, in Anganwadi centres, or in schools.

ECCE ensures that children develop the right cognitive, emotional, and social abilities needed for future learning.

What Is the Purpose of Early Childhood Care & Education?

ECCE goes beyond reading, writing, and solving fundamental maths problems. The overall holistic development of a child in their early years promotes healthy cognitive, social, and emotional growth, which helps them navigate their lives better.

• Social Skills: When young children attend preschools, they interact with others their age. They learn how to communicate and also make new friends. Being around other kids also helps them become more patient, empathetic, and part of a team. All these life skills will stay with them well into adulthood.
• Academics: Early childhood care and education promotes lifelong learning. Kids learn various subjects like science, maths, and languages. Since fun and interactive methods are adopted to teach these subjects, learning becomes easy and fun for the children. They develop a positive attitude towards academics and schooling.
• Diversity in Learning: In school, children interact with other children of different abilities, communities, and backgrounds. Despite these differences, they learn how to treat everyone equally. They learn to share their toys, thoughts, food, and feelings with all others, shaping them into better humans.
• Language & Literacy: A part of NEP 2020 focuses on fundamental literacy and numeracy. This ensures that children learn how to read, write, and understand the basics, are able to do maths calculations, and can talk and share thoughts in their mother tongue and English/Hindi languages.
• Thinking: By promoting ECCE, kids develop cognitive abilities, like analytical thinking, logical reasoning, problem-solving, and memory retention skills. They learn to put their thoughts into action, communicate their thoughts, and develop a problem-solving attitude.
• Self-Control: In preschools, students are taught to share and be kind and patient from an early age. This makes them more empathetic and caring and instils self-control in them. They learn to wait for their turn to speak and share their thoughts. They also learn to respect and listen when others are speaking.

What Is the Importance of Early Childhood Care & Education?

The importance of early childhood care and education lies in how it shapes every aspect of a child’s development.

• Cognitive Development: ECCE strengthens thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving abilities. Children exposed to structured learning early develop better academic skills and adaptability.
• Brain Development: During early years, the brain forms critical neural connections. Proper stimulation through early learning ensures stronger memory, attention, and learning capacity.
• Emotional & Social Growth: Children learn empathy, teamwork, and communication. These skills help them build relationships and manage emotions effectively.
• Communication Skills: Language exposure at an early stage improves vocabulary, comprehension, and expression, which are essential for both academics and daily interactions.
• Future Personal & Career Success: Strong early foundations lead to better academic performance and increased opportunities in higher education and careers.
• Lifelong Learning Habits: ECCE encourages curiosity and a love for learning, helping children become independent and self-motivated learners.

What Are the Key Objectives of Early Childhood Care & Education?

The NEP 2020 aims to make ECCE available for all children nationwide. Here are its key objectives:

• Universal Access: NEP’s vision is to provide universal access to high-quality early childhood care and education that is effective for all children from the ages of 3 to 6.
• Holistic Development: ECCE aims to provide holistic development to all children, including cognitive, physical, social, ethical, and emotional skills.
• Play-Based Learning: The NEP philosophy is to move away from rote learning and adopt more interactive and play-based learning. This will help children to explore and experiment more.
• Inclusivity and Diversity: ECCE under NEP aims to be inclusive and mindful of all cultures and backgrounds. Children of all abilities and backgrounds are treated equally.
• Technological Integration: ECCE understands today’s era of technology. So, it promotes e-content in regional languages, trains teachers to use the latest technology, and introduces technological reforms in learning and teaching.
• Higher Education Reforms: The education policy also focuses on higher education and aims to bring about the needed changes in the higher education systems and techniques. Students will have more diverse subjects, flexibility in pursuing various disciplines, and the use of the best resources and technology is advocated.
• Assessment Reforms: NEP advises shifting from traditional exam patterns and adopting continuous evaluations based on cognitive skills and social-emotional abilities.

What Are the Challenges of Implementing Early Childhood Care & Education in India?

• Shortage of Skilled Educators: Many schools, especially in the rural setting, still lack teachers trained in early childhood pedagogy, which affects the quality of learning experiences.
• Limited Infrastructure & Resources: Not all schools have access to child-friendly classrooms, learning materials, or digital tools required for effective ECCE.
• Mixed Age Classrooms: Managing children of different developmental stages in the same class can make personalised teaching difficult.
• Focus on Rote Learning: Despite NEP guidelines, some schools still prioritise memorisation over experiential and play-based learning.

How Can Schools & Teachers Implement ECCE Successfully?

To improve ECCE and make sure that all children have access to foundational learning, the government has introduced important initiatives, including:

1. SARTHAQ (Students’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement through Quality Education)

   SARTHAQ offers a clear plan to achieve the ECCE goals of NEP 2020. It enhances early education by:

   • Training teachers to use child-focused, activity-based learning methods.
   • Updating the curriculum to include play-based and hands-on learning.
   • Improving school and anganwadi infrastructure to create a more engaging learning environment.

2. NIPUN Bharat (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy)

   NIPUN Bharat aims to ensure that every child can read and do basic math by Grade 3, which is key to early childhood care and education. It supports:

   • Schools by helping them use organised methods to improve reading and maths skills.
   • Teachers with training and resources for interactive, inclusive classrooms.
   • Community involvement through parental support and local help for early learning.

How Extramarks Smart Class Plus Aligns with Early Childhood Care & Education

Extramarks aligns with the goals and guidelines provided by NEP in India. We support the vision of providing high-quality education in the foundational years. The platform provides solutions designed to cater to the unique learning needs of young children.

• Holistic Development Focus: The comprehensive curriculum provided by Extramarks Smart Class Plus includes interactive and engaging content that is designed to stimulate all aspects of a child’s development in the early years, aligning with NEP 2020. The software smartly integrates all multimedia elements, such as animations, games, and stories, fostering a love for learning in children.
• Personalised Learning: The NEP emphasises the importance of personalised learning experiences and Smart Class Plus has incorporated the same. With AI, we tailor learning solutions based on the strengths and weaknesses of each child, and the students also have the flexibility to choose and explore specific topics, chapters, and subjects.
• Activity-Based Learning: Extramarks Smart Class Plus promotes activity-based learning by integrating interactive content and hands-on activities within its digital platform. It offers various multimedia resources, including videos, simulations, and quizzes, designed to engage students in active learning.
• Empowering Educators: The NEP recognises teachers’ role in early childhood education. With the Smart Class Plus feature, teachers can analyse students’ academic progress after school hours. Teachers can use the app to fine-tune their teaching strategies for a more personalised and effective learning experience.

Conclusion

Early childhood care and education is the foundation of a child’s entire life journey.

When children receive the right care, exposure, and learning opportunities in their early years, they grow into confident, capable, and curious individuals. NEP 2020 has made ECCE a national priority, but its success depends on how effectively schools and educators implement it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by

Priya Kapoor | AVP - Academics

Priya Kapoor is an accomplished education professional with over 18 years of experience across diverse fields, including eLearning, digital and print publishing, instructional design, and content strategy. As the AVP – Academics at Extramarks, she leads academic teams in creating tailored educational solutions, ensuring alignment with varied curricula across national and international platforms...read more.

Last Updated on March 26, 2026