DIYUN, Oct 14: Sixty-nine Anganwadi workers from all 69 Anganwadi Centres in Diyun block of Changlang district participated in a two-day capacity-building programme aimed at strengthening early childhood care and education (ECCE) and improving school readiness among young children.
The training, held on October 13 and 14, was organised by the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD), Changlang district, in partnership with the India Foundation for Education Transformation (IFET) and Ugam Education Foundation.
The programme was conducted at two venues—the Circuit House, Diyun, and the NALC (Circle Library), Diyun—and marked the beginning of a structured, multi-year capacity-building initiative for Anganwadi workers.
The initiative aims to strengthen workers’ knowledge, skills and classroom practices to make Anganwadi Centres more engaging, inclusive and developmentally appropriate learning spaces for young children.
The programme is being implemented under the guidance of the WCD Department, Changlang, headed by Deputy Director, ICDS, Onyok Panyang, and monitored at the project level by Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Bordumsa-Diyun ICDS Project, KT Tungkhang.
The partnership seeks to strengthen the ECCE component and improve school readiness among children aged three to six years. It recognises Anganwadi Centres as important spaces not only for nutrition and care but also for fostering cognitive, language, physical and socio-emotional development before children enter formal schooling.
The first training focused on understanding young children and their developmental domains, along with practical approaches to language, literacy, numeracy, physical development, socio-emotional learning, role clarity and reflective practice.
Designed to be participatory and activity-based, the sessions involved group discussions, demonstrations, storytelling, songs, rhymes, movement exercises, pre-mathematical activities and socio-emotional learning exercises.
Participants also reflected on their existing roles and daily routines, exploring ways to give greater attention to children in the three-to-six-year age group and improve their preparedness for formal education.
A key component of the training was encouraging Anganwadi workers to recognise children’s strengths, abilities, interests and developmental needs rather than focus primarily on their limitations. They also explored activities that could be conducted using locally available materials.
The second day focused on language and early literacy, pre-mathematical concepts, socio-emotional learning and the development of an integrated daily routine. Working in groups, participants designed a model Anganwadi day incorporating stories, songs, movement, mathematics, socio-emotional learning and free play.
At the conclusion, each participant identified one change to make in her existing practice, one activity to introduce and one behaviour to consciously improve at her Anganwadi Centre.
The training was facilitated by Lopa Gandhi, CEO of Ugam Education Foundation; Sanjay Jha, COO of Ugam Education Foundation; and Prahlad C, CEO of IFET.
The organisers emphasised that strengthening early childhood education required sustained investment in the people working directly with young children. Accordingly, the initiative is designed to extend beyond one-time training and provide Anganwadi workers with continued opportunities for learning, reflection, practical application and improvement.
Covering all 69 Anganwadi Centres in Diyun block, the initiative also envisages the development of model demonstration centres to promote effective ECCE practices.