Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said that the State Government was set to launch the 'Himachal Pradesh Early Childhood Care and Education Tutor Scheme' to overall growth of the children between 3-6 years of age.

He said that presently 6,297 pre-primary schools under the umbrella of primary schools were being run by the State Government catering to approximately 60,000 children and 2,377 anganwari were also co-located with these primary schools.

“In alignment with the National Education Policy, 2020, which recommends comprehensive Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), the Education Department would implement a combination of all four ECCE models, said the Chief Minister. These models include standalone Anganwari and Anganwari's co-located with primary schools, pre-primary schools covering at least ages 5 to 6 years co-located with existing primary schools and standalone pre-primary schools," added the Chief Minister.

He said that the State Government would engage ECCE tutors for all 6,297 government primary schools, adhering to NCTE norms. He emphasized, "This initiative highlights the State government’s commitment to providing quality early childhood education and ensuring the holistic development and nurturing the young minds in Himachal."

Sukhu reiterated the State Government's commitment to improving educational accessibility by ensuring quality education closer to student's homes. He emphasized ongoing efforts to introduce innovative schemes in the education sector, including the upcoming recruitment of teachers of various categories. He said that the recruitment process would commence soon so as to avoid any disturbance in studies due to shortage of teachers in schools. In addition to these initiatives, the State Government is also launching Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School in every assembly constituency, he added.