Five-Day ECCE Orientation Programme Held for BEEOs in Himachal
Shimla, October 9: A five-day state-level orientation programme for Block Elementary Education Officers (BEEOs) was organised in Himachal Pradesh under the PM SHRI scheme to strengthen pre-primary education and improve the quality of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). Around 80 participants from six districts attended the programme.
The training focused on creating engaging, activity-based learning environments for pre-primary children and promoting their physical, mental, social, emotional and language development. Participants were introduced to key provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS), with emphasis on learning through play, stories, songs, exploration and interaction.
The sessions highlighted initiatives such as ‘Himvatika’, which connects learning with Himachal Pradesh’s local environment, including plants, seasons and nature, and ‘Jadui Pitara’, which uses toys, puzzles, pictures and other teaching materials to make learning engaging.
The importance of parental and community participation was also emphasised through Samagra Shiksha’s ‘Pehli Teacher–Maa’ initiative, which recognises mothers as children’s first teachers. Parents were encouraged to support learning at home through conversations, storytelling, songs and everyday activities.
Participants also learned about assessing children’s progress through observation and participation rather than comparison, enabling teachers to identify individual learning needs and improve classroom practices.
Special emphasis was placed on mentoring and monitoring. BEEOs were encouraged to conduct regular school visits, support teachers academically, identify training needs and help address classroom challenges. Discussions also focused on preparing action plans to implement the learning from the programme across schools and educational blocks.
SCERT Pre-Primary Coordinator Ranjana Kumari, ECCE Consultant Dalip Verma, and resource persons from the Pratham Education Foundation—Joginder Sharma, Kuldeep Pundir, Kewal Krishan, Jagriti Sharma and Purushottam—contributed to the sessions.
Samagra Sikhsha
