UP: 'Balvatika Abhiyan' for pre-primary education to kick off on April 16

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday said it is set to hold 'Balvatika Abhiyan,' a campaign aimed at children's education from an early age, from April 16 to April 29.

"The campaign themed 'Sunehari Shuruaat Balvatika Ke Saath' (Golden beginning with Balvatika) seeks to strengthen pre-primary education by transforming co-located Anganwadi centres into Balvatikas. It aims to lay the foundation for children's education while promoting active community participation," the government said in a statement.

"Under this initiative, co-located Anganwadi centres will be designated as Balvatika classes to facilitate structured pre-primary learning. The basic education department, through the 'Samagra Shiksha' initiative, is working systematically to enhance learning environments and develop resources for children aged 3-6," the statement said.

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Early childhood education

The campaign objectives include raising awareness about the significance of early childhood education through community engagement, and encouraging parents and community members to enrol children aged 3-6 in the Balvatikas, it said.

The campaign also aims to prepare children aged 5-6 for seamless transition into Class-1 and ensure that all children in the 3-6 age-group are connected to Balvatika classes, it added. The key activities under the campaign involve "Prabhat Pheri", to be conducted involving primary school children led by public representatives from April 16-17.

From April 18-21, special "gram sabhas" will be organised to highlight the campaign's objectives and core messages, while on April 22-23, community engagements through role plays and storytelling sessions will be held, including puppet shows and interactive storytelling by children, the statement said. On April 24-25, creative competitions will be organised for children and parents, followed by parent-teacher meetings on April 28-29, it added.