From when a baby’s first tooth appears to the first time he or she learns to walk, every single milestone is treasured by parents as it is a sign that their little one is growing up. But the most defining ‘rite of passage’ into the next stage of life is when the toddler prepares to go to a preschool or nursery.
Young parents find themselves having a lot of options to choose from – there are so many preschools and nurseries that claim to be the best. The most integral component of any of these institutions is its workforce. But industry estimates show that around 20% of preschool teachers in India have no formal training in early childhood care and development. Also, there no specific guidelines for mandatory training or lessons that teacher training institutes must provide to their candidates.
“What parents must understand is that the efficiency and qualification of teachers in these institutions is the most important factor that determines their overall quality. 85% of a person’s brain development happens before the age of 6 years. Therefore, the quality of interaction and engagement a child gets in the early years is very crucial in their overall development and growth,” says Meghna Yadav, Head, Training and Development at KLAY group of preschools, adding, “It is keeping these factors in mind that we have launched the ‘KLAY Pre-School Teacher Training Program’ for early educators. After carrying out many studies in this field and talking to many people, including researchers and experts, we at KLAY realised that there was a huge demand for trained personnel in this field, but there was no comprehensive course that would endow them with the right set of skills. We aim to bridge this gap. Right now, we have started this course in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Gurgaon and Noida, but we are coming soon to Hyderabad and Chennai.”
In addition to facilitating skill development, the training programme also gives a chance for women who may have abandoned their careers in order to take care of children to come back into the workforce. “There are hundreds of women who are waiting for the right opportunity to go to back to work after having children but cannot do so as the sole responsibility of childcare falls on them while their partners go to work. But after finishing this course, these women can both work and take care of their children. It is a win-win situation,” explains Meghna.
The 25-week, 250-hour course will have both theoretical and practical components. “In the first 21 weeks, students will get an idea of the theoretical aspects of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). The last 4 weeks will revolve around practical work as part of a compulsory internship with KLAY schools – the trainees will be given simulation assignments where they will have to present certain topics in class, and they will be evaluated based on their grasp of the topics. On the successful completion of the course, there is a 100% placement guarantee too,” she points out.
Through the programme, KLAY also seeks to foster what they call ‘family-school partnership’. “Most often we find that parents are not very involved in their child’s school life – it mostly just starts and ends with picking them/dropping them off at the preschools. But we want parents to be on the same page as teachers while dealing with their child’s all-round development. We want to foster a relationship between teachers, parents, and children where there is transparency, trust and growth for all parties,” says Meghna.
