Fostering State Level Engagement On ECCE Through ‘Igniting Young Minds’
Bhubaneswar, November 17: With an aim to facilitate and foster a collective will and meaningful engagement to transform Early Childhood Education in Odisha to achieve positive outcome for all children in the state, a two-day state-level consultation titled ‘Igniting Young Minds: State Level Dialogue on ECCE, Odisha’ was organised by the Department of Psychology, Utkal University, in partnership with UNICEF, Odisha on Friday at Hotel New Marrion, Bhubaneswar.
The programme was inaugurated by Minister WCD & Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, Prafulla Samal in the presence of other dignitaries like Prof S.M Patnaik, Vice Chancellor, Utkal University, Kasturi Mohapatra, Chairperson, OSCPCR, Govt. of Odisha and Yumi Bae, Chief, UNICEF Odisha.
During the discussion, Samal spoke about the benefit of such consultation programmes for the society to take care of early childhood, which is the foundation period of a child. .png)
He further emphasised on the importance of such programmes, saying, “Although education is the passport for the bright future of a child, health is simultaneously important for the child at the primary level. The Naveen Patnaik-led government is serious about health of children as they are the future of the state and the country. There are 29 lakhs children under the age group of 0-6 years in Odisha, for which there are nearly 1 lakh 32 thousand Anganwadi workers and helpers in the state, working to provide them with proper care and guidance. In comparison to other states, Odisha pays the highest amount in remuneration to Anganwadi karmis. In a state like Gujarat, these karmis are paid Rs. 4700 in comparison to karmis in Odisha who are paid Rs.6000. Odisha has more number of schools and teachers than other states. In addition to it, there are almost 88,000 students studying in higher classes.”
Talking about the state government’s plans to reinforce the child education system, he said, “We are going to recruit more teachers in the coming days to strengthen the education system. Our intention is to mostly reduce the number of students who drop out of school. There has been significant achievement in this direction as there are only two percent of students in the state who drop out of school due to several reasons. We will continue in our efforts to reduce the two percent to zero.”
The consultation was focused on elements and opportunities in the National ECCE Policy 2013, which included the state initiatives and practices with family engagement and community participation; strategic plan for equitable implementation of quality ECCE; development of roadmap and strategies for ECCE and related issues.
Vice Chancellor of Utkal University Prof. S.M. Patnaik said, “The first six years of a child’s life are important in forming his entire life in matters of health and education. Proper care of the child must be taken during this period. It is high time we recognise our responsibility towards our children. A sense of social responsibility towards children must be built through institutional mechanism.” 
Speaking at the event, UNICEF Odisha Chief MsYumi Bae said, “Children’s rights to quality care and education are absolutely critical for full realisation of their inner potential. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is not just about making children school-ready or ready for their role in society; it is also about making the society and the schools ready for children and helping them realise their life’s potential.”
