Deputy CM Manish Sisodia inaugurates 101 Aanganwadi Hub Centers
Deputy Chief Minister Mr Manish Sisodia on Monday inaugurated 101 modern Anganwadi HUB Centres across Delhi, as part of the ongoing reforms in the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme.
The main programme was organised at a Hub Center in Okhla and was attended among others by the local MLA and Waqf Board chairman, Amanatullah Khan.
Inaugurations of 100 other centers were done by the respective area MLAs.
“In continuation of our focus on Delhi’s children, we recognise that care for children starts from the time when they are in their mothers wombs and the learning starts from the day they are born. Our 10,000 plus Anganwadi centres are the platform to provide this care and learning. The first six years, when our children are at our Aanganwadis, are the most critical years as foundation of a healthy, happy and curious child, who is eager to learn, is laid in these years,” Mr Sisodia said.
Anganwadi HUB Centres, a reform measure initiated by the government, are spacious and vibrant play schools for children aged 3-6 years.
Earlier this month, the government also finished the training of Anganwadi Workers under its new early childhood education (ECE) curriculum. The new curriculum was developed in collaboration with ECE experts and has many new learning features and techniques based on latest research on early childhood learning and development.
Government expects the new curriculum to make their children school-ready. Poor early learning experience in early years is the beginning of the learning gap that gets further perpetuated as children progress to higher classes. Government school children start formal school in class 1 and are already at a disadvantage compared to those who go to playschools which use various tools for cognitive development during early childhood.
Last year, the Delhi Government had substantially increased the salaries of Aanganwadi workers. From an earlier honorarium of Rs.5000 per month, the government more than doubled it to Rs. 10,678.
While complying with the long-standing legitimate demand of the Anaganwadi Workers, the salary increase is commensurate with the responsibility that they are expected to undertake, and the learning and health outcomes that are expected from their Anganwadi centres. 5.5 lakh children aged between 0-6 years are beneficiaries of 10,000 plus Anganwadis across Delhi.
