The right start campaign started by the Early Childhood Association (ECA) has listed a 10-point guideline for preschools in India to follow, while conducting admissions. The campaign mainly aims at helping parents pick the right preschool for their child and also helps preschools determine the points on which parents will assess their institution.
The ten guidelines are as follows-
Rule no 1-
Do not enroll your child in a nursery before the age of 3
Ensure that you adhere to these age limits while admitting your child to the following- (Playschool- 2 years, Nursery- 3 years, Junior K.G- 4 years, Senior K.G- 5 years, Grade one- 6 years).
Rule no 2-
Don’t select a board, select a school.
Choose a school that is parent-centric and has a child-centric curriculum.
It is not only the board that is important, but it is also the transaction of the child of that board that is equally important and how it will benefit them.
Rule no 3-
It is not only about high and low fees that matter.
If a school's fees are high- then check how much they will give for that worth of money.
If a school's fees are low- then check how much they are cutting to provide you cheap education.
Rule no 4-
Check with the school to see if all its teachers are qualified.
Be sure to check if all the teachers teaching your child have done a 10 month or more course on ECCE and NTT and not just a 3 month or 6-month crash course.
Rule no 5-
Ensure that the school has done a background on their staff and has the necessary documents.
Ask for proof of the same.
Rule no 6-
Ensure that the school has a discipline policy and note if they correct or discipline using methods such as screaming, shouting or hitting.
Make sure that the school has a zero-tolerance policy for abuse towards children.
Rule no 7-
Say no to a school that interviews you or your child.
Children cannot take the stress of interviews that young an age and a school which conducts such interviews are not child-centric.
Rule no 8-
Note the distance from your home to school.
Avoid making your child spend more than 30 minutes by bus one way.
Rule no 9-
Give the school you intend to put your child in a 5 senses test-
Ears- If you hear children’s voices more it is a good school. If you can only hear the voices of adults then think about it.
Eyes- look at the displays in schools, if they a mix of art, drawings and worksheets, the school has a child-friendly environment. If not, then the place is not a good environment for learning.
Nose- smell the area around the toilets. If the place smells bad, then it means that the child will stop drinking enough fluids and going to the toilet.
Taste- The only method of tasting is to talk. Ask questions about the qualifications, background checks and policies.
Touch- Touch the surface areas of the walls and floors to see if they are sharp and dusty. Such elements may harm physically harm the child.
Rule no 10-
CCTV safety- Make sure that the cameras are located in places where they are needed- such as the entrance of the school building, grounds, and other areas.
Check on who monitors the CCTV cameras.
Check on how often the cameras are monitored.
Check on how long they maintain the video recordings.
Don’t rely on live streaming as it can be misused.
The guidelines were set after the increased number of accidents that took place in schools and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure these steps are in place and that of educational institutions to make sure they match up to these standards to provide students a wholesome education.