Bengal bags highest SKOCH award

Kolkata: Bengal received the highest SKOCH award for its "Home-based early childhood care and education programme" under which 15 lakh children aged between 3 to 6 years were provided with knowledge based activities in audio format to continue with their studies at home as they cannot attend anganwadi centres in the wake of Covid pandemic.

It was in May when the state Women and Child Development and Social Welfare department introduced the programme in which knowledge based activities were sent to mobile phones of the parents of the children in the form of audio modules consisting of rhymes, stories and other activities.

The move helped parents to keep their children engaged in learning activities in a congenial environment when they were almost forced to remain confined to their houses due to Covid and it also helped in ensuring that the children do not lose out the learning process at this stage of their life.

The department's minister Shashi Panja received the award and delivered the valedictory session virtually on Wednesday.

This is a special award given for the "response to Covid-19" and Bengal received the "Gold" that is the highest SKOCH award. A senior state government official said that the programme is designed for the children of age group between 3 to 6 years and 15 lakh children of these age groups have been brought under the project so far. A target has been set to bring in a total 26 lakh children under the programme.

The most interesting part of the programme is that even a guardian does not have a smart phone and using basic phones can also reap its benefit. Moreover, the modules are prepared in such a way so that children enjoy the activity instead of getting bored.

The modules containing activities are sent every week for six days.