375 Master Trainers Prepared, Yogi Govt's ECCE Model To Now Reflect In Balvatikas
· Free Press Journal
Lucknow: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government has achieved a significant milestone in giving a new direction to pre-primary education. A trained academic leadership cadre for Balvatika education has been prepared by providing specialized training to 375 ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) Core Group Members and Master Trainers from the state's 75 districts. These trained Master Trainers will now lead teacher capacity development at the district and block levels. This will provide new momentum to play-based, activity-based and developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Balvatikas across the state and help lay a strong foundation for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN).
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This initiative, organized by the Pre-Primary Unit of the Basic Education Department under Samagra Shiksha, is an important step towards strengthening the quality of pre-primary education in line with the National Education Policy-2020. Through the trained ECCE Core Group, collaborative monitoring, effective mentoring, teacher capacity development and the academic quality of Balvatikas at the district and block levels will now receive renewed strength. This will help ensure an enjoyable, inclusive and developmentally appropriate learning environment for every child.
Under Samagra Shiksha, seven residential training batches were organized at the Deendayal Upadhyaya State Institute of Rural Development (DDU-SIRD), Lucknow, from July 6 to July 31, 2026. A total of 375 ECCE Core Group Members and Master Trainers from all 75 districts of the state participated in these programmes.
During the training, participants received practical instruction on modern principles of early childhood education, play-based learning, child-centered activities, age-appropriate learning processes and the concept of a functional Balvatika. Participants also visited government Balvatika classrooms and gained first-hand experience of activity-based teaching models and effective classroom management.
The five-day residential training programme was designed in such a way that the trained Master Trainers would lead teacher capacity development in their respective districts and development blocks. The training placed special emphasis on collaborative monitoring, mentoring, play-based learning, effective use of teaching-learning materials and the holistic development of children. This will promote a quality, uniform and child-centred teaching system in Balvatika classrooms.
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Meanwhile, Director General, School Education and State Project Director Monica Rani directed officials to ensure quality training at the district and block levels, collaborative monitoring, regular use of teaching-learning materials and age-appropriate storybooks, and timely data management.
The objective of the Yogi government is to make early childhood education the strong foundation of school education. In Balvatikas, children will receive opportunities to learn through games, stories, interaction and activities, which will improve their language skills, cognitive abilities, social-emotional development and readiness for school. This initiative will further strengthen a smooth school transition and quality early education for children in accordance with the National Education Policy-2020.