Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE)

ECCE full form is Early childhood care and education (ECCE), as defined by UNESCO, is the “holistic development of a child's social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing.” ECCE promotes brain development and has positive long-term economic benefits.

ECCE Courses are considered an important intervention with respect to making a strong foundation for the education of young children across the nation. National Policy on ECCE was released in the year 2013 and it has made it important to generate awareness and attention to the importance of early education to children. Learners are prepared to give focus and special attention to young kids and take care of their health, nutrition and education.

Yes, most ECCE programs include practical training through internships or fieldwork to provide hands-on experience in real-world settings.

The syllabus of ECCE usually includes following core components:

• Child Development: Understanding physical, cognitive, emotional and social development.
• Learning Theories: Exploring various theories of child learning.
• Curriculum Planning: Designing age-appropriate activities and experiences.
• Health and Nutrition: Importance of health and nutrition in early childhood.
• Family and Community Engagement: Involving families and communities in child development.
• Assessment and Evaluation: Methods to assess children’s progress.

Some of the top colleges offering PG Diploma in ECCE are as follows:

• IGNOU
• MSU Baroda
• Panjabi University
• TISS Mumbai
• Children's University

After completing ECCE, candidates have a wide range of work opportunities such as:

• Preschool Teacher
• Kindergarten & Elementary School Teacher
• Nanny
• Childcare Center Director
• Childcare Worker

Various certificate courses are offered in ECCE which is a 6-months course that can be pursued by candidates after completing Class 12. These are as follows:

• IGNOU
• Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University
• YCMOU
• Integral University
• Guru Nanak Dev University

The following colleges offer 1 year UG Diploma in ECCE which can be pursued by candidates who have completed Class 12 from recognised board. 

• IGNOU
• Tamil Nadu Open University
• DDU Gorakhpur
• Guru Nanak Dev University
• Radha Govind University

Early Childhood Education Instruction Specialists can be a high-paying domain.This course helps in:

• Equip with different teaching methods
• Development of skills related to childhood education especially in the early ages
• Understand the mental and psychological development of children to be able to teach them in a better way.