A Comprehensive Overview of Policy, Implementation and Impact in Maharashtra and Beyond

In a significant educational reform that reflects the evolving priorities of India’s schooling system, the Zilla Parishad (Z.P.) education department in Maharashtra has directed primary school teachers to also provide foundational teaching for children enrolled in nearby Anganwadi centres. This initiative is part of a broader national push to strengthen early childhood care and education (ECCE) and make children “school ready” long before they formally enter Class I.

The decision — originally reported in regional media — has generated both interest and debate among educators, parents, child development experts, and policymakers. In this detailed article, we explore why this policy is emerging now, how it aligns with national education goals (including the National Education Policy 2020), how it is being implemented, and what challenges and opportunities it presents for India’s early education system.

Understanding the Background: Anganwadi Centres and Primary Schooling in India

To fully grasp the importance of the recent Maharashtra directive, it is essential to understand the role Anganwadi centres play in rural and urban India, and how early childhood education fits within the broader educational ecosystem.

What Are Anganwadi Centres?

Anganwadi centres are government-run community childcare hubs established under India’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, launched in 1975. ICDS aims to provide:

• Preschool education for children aged roughly 3–6 years

• Nutritional support and supplementary feeding

• Immunisation and health check-ups

• Maternal health services

• Early cognitive and social development activities Wikipedia

Anganwadis act as the first point of contact for millions of children and families across India, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. Their mission extends beyond schooling — they also help improve health outcomes and mitigate early childhood malnutrition.

Challenges Facing Anganwadi Education

Despite the critical role Anganwadi centres play, they face longstanding challenges:

• Limited formal education structure for early learning

• Variability in training and educational qualifications among Anganwadi workers

• Workloads that often include health, nutrition and administrative tasks alongside pedagogy

• Inconsistent availability of instructional materials and physical space JIER

This has often resulted in an early learning gap, where children entering formal primary school lack key foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

National Education Policy 2020: Setting the Stage

India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places a strong emphasis on foundational learning and early childhood education. It recognises that the first six years of life are crucial for brain development and lifelong learning habits, and therefore calls for a stronger, more integrated approach to early education. NEP 2020 prioritises:

• Foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) as the first step of lifelong learning

• A seamless transition between early childhood care and formal schooling

• Integration of Anganwadis with formal school systems

• Enhancing teacher training and learning materials for early education Wikipedia

The policy also advocates for linking over 110,000 Anganwadi centres to primary schools in Maharashtra under the NEP framework, a move specifically aimed at strengthening early learning outcomes and ensuring continuity between pre-school and primary education. Pune Mirror

The Maharashtra Initiative: Primary Teachers in Anganwadi Centres

What Is the Policy Change?

According to the recent Lokmat report from Sangli, Maharashtra:

• Primary teachers employed under the Zilla Parishad will now be required to teach basic academic subjects to children at Anganwadi centres located near their schools.

• These teachers are expected to conduct structured learning activities for Anganwadi children for a fixed number of days.

• The initiative targets Anganwadis within approximately one kilometre of the ZP schools.

• The objective is to ensure that children are better prepared for formal schooling by building early literacy, numeracy and cognitive skills. (Lokmat report)

This represents a shift from traditional early childhood programming — which emphasised play and care — toward a more structured foundation of academic readiness.

Why Are Primary Teachers Being Assigned This Role?

Primary school teachers are trained in pedagogy, classroom management, basic literacy and numeracy instruction — skills that many Anganwadi workers, who are recruited mainly on a paraprofessional basis, may not fully possess.

By leveraging the expertise of trained teachers, the programme aims to:

• Improve early literacy and numeracy skills in children aged roughly 3 to 6 years

• Facilitate an easier transition when these children enrol in Class I

• Help reduce learning gaps between different socio-economic groups

• Encourage school readiness and long-term educational engagement

This approach mirrors practices in other states — for example, Rajasthan’s decision to deploy “prabodhak” teachers in Anganwadi centres, with explicit instructional duties for foundational learning. The Times of India

National Guidelines: Co-Location and Integration

The Maharashtra initiative dovetails with national guidelines launched for co-locating Anganwadi centres with primary schools.

In September 2025, the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) jointly unveiled guidelines to promote co-location — placing Anganwadi services in or near primary school premises — as a means to create a unified early learning environment. These guidelines emphasise:

• Joint planning and curriculum alignment between teachers and Anganwadi workers

• Engagement of parents in learning activities

• Shared infrastructure and child-friendly spaces

• Measures to ensure smooth transition to primary schooling

• Emphasising both care and education components of ECCE Department of School Education+1

Such integration is designed to eliminate the artificial separation between early childhood care and the early grades of formal schooling — a core principle of the NEP 2020 vision.

Expected Educational and Social Impact

1. Improving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

One of the biggest challenges in Indian elementary education has been that children start Class I without basic reading, writing or counting skills. This initiative — involving trained primary teachers in early years learning — is expected to directly strengthen these foundations.

Improved FLN contributes to improved retention, better academic performance, and reduced repetition and dropout rates as children progress through school.

2. Bridging Gaps Across Regions and Communities

Access to quality early education is often skewed by geographic and socio-economic inequalities. Rural areas, where access to preschooling is limited, are most affected. By using primary teachers to support early learning, the state aims to reduce disparities in learning outcomes — especially among marginalised groups.

3. Professional Upskilling for Anganwadi Workers

The policy indirectly promotes professional development of Anganwadi workers. In some states, Anganwadi staff are being provided structured early childhood education training and curricular handbooks (for example, Maharashtra’s SCERT-prepared “Maitri Balmanashi” guides). The Indian Express

In Maharashtra, efforts are also underway to train Anganwadi workers under the new NEP-aligned ECCE framework so they can support early learning more effectively. Marathi News Esakal

4. Family and Community Engagement

National guidelines and state initiatives both emphasise the importance of involving parents and communities in early learning. For example, programmes like Uttar Pradesh’s mother orientation initiatives strengthen home-based foundational learning practices. The Statesman

Challenges and Criticisms

No policy change of this magnitude is without challenges.

Workload and Resource Constraints

Primary teachers already shoulder substantial responsibilities — including classroom teaching, administrative duties, midday meal supervision, examinations and reporting. Assigning them additional tasks at Anganwadi centres could add to their workload — unless accompanied by compensation, time allowances, and clear job design.

A comparative study of Anganwadi workers and primary teachers in rural Bengaluru highlights how disparate workloads and compensation structures can affect job satisfaction and performance. Such disparities could be exacerbated without careful planning. JIER

Training and Curriculum Standardisation

Effective early childhood education requires more than just academic instruction — it requires age-appropriate pedagogy, play-based learning, and socio-emotional development approaches. Ensuring that primary teachers are also trained in ECCE principles will be critical.

Infrastructure and Logistical Issues

While co-location guidelines exist, practical challenges (such as physical space, dedicated early learning materials, and safe play areas) must be addressed for this initiative to succeed.

Looking Ahead: Policy Synergy and Future Directions

The Maharashtra decision to involve Z.Building on national frameworks such as the NEP 2020, co-location guidelines and NIPUN Bharat mission, states like Maharashtra are at the forefront of re-imagining early education.

As more educational stakeholders — from policymakers to teachers to communities — engage with these reforms, the emphasis is shifting toward:

• Holistic early learning experiences

• Integration of health, nutrition, and education

• Professionalisation of Anganwadi workforce

• Enhanced community ownership of foundational education

Conclusion

The decision to have Zilla Parishad primary teachers support Anganwadi education is more than a local administrative order — it is part of a larger systemic push toward redefining early childhood education in India. By aligning state actions with national policies, Maharashtra aims to better prepare young learners for primary school and beyond, while building a more cohesive, inclusive, and quality-driven education system.

As implementation unfolds over the coming months and years, lessons from this initiative could influence broader reforms across the country — potentially helping unlock the foundational learning potential of millions of children at the earliest and most critical stages of their development.

Author: Kids Gazette