←
Anganwadi Supervisor Paper-2: Child Development, Extension and Social Work · Chapter 4

Creches, Balwadis and Pre-school Education

What to remember

  • A creche is day care for the children of working mothers (mostly under six); a balwadi and a pre-school give early education to children of about three to six years; the anganwadi under ICDS does all of these tasks together.
  • Pre-school thinkers to know: Froebel (kindergarten), Montessori (prepared environment, didactic material) and in India Gijubhai Badheka and Tarabai Modak.
  • Pre-school method is "play-way": children learn through play, songs, stories, sense activities and free expression, not through reading and writing drills.

Why early childhood care and education (ECCE) matters

The first six years are when the brain grows fastest and habits, language and trust are formed. Good care and stimulation in these years improve health, school readiness and later life chances. Poor children benefit the most, so the State supports day care and pre-school free of cost or at low cost.

The Indian Constitution (Article 45, after the 86th Amendment) directs the State to provide early childhood care and education to all children until they complete six years. Article 21A gives the Right to Education for ages 6 to 14. The National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy of 2013 and a curriculum framework follow this goal. The National Education Policy 2020 treats ages 3 to 8 as the "foundational stage", with the first three years in pre-school or anganwadi.

Creches (day care)

A creche is a safe place where young children are looked after while their parents work. Its main aims are to care for, feed, rest and stimulate children, and to free the mother for work.

Law: The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, as amended in 2017, requires an establishment with a set minimum number of employees (50 or more) to provide a creche within a prescribed distance, with the mother allowed to visit four times a day, including the rest interval. Earlier laws, such as the Factories Act, 1948, also required creches where women workers above a set number were employed, as did laws for mines and plantations. Since 21 November 2025 these provisions are carried in the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the OSH Code, 2020, which subsumed these Acts.

Government schemes: The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme (2006) supported creches run by voluntary groups for children aged six months to six years of working mothers. It was later reorganised as the National Creche Scheme, and today creches come under the Palna component of Mission Shakti (check the latest official release for details).

A good creche has: a safe, clean, well-lit room with drinking water and toilets; a trained creche worker and helper; nutritious meals and snacks; sleeping space; health check-ups and immunization linkages; play and early learning materials; and records of attendance and growth.

Mobile creches serve the children of migrant construction workers by moving with the work site; the Mobile Creches organisation in Delhi began such care in the 1960s.

Types of day care: home-based (family day care), centre-based (creche or day nursery), workplace-based, and community-based.

Balwadis

A balwadi ("children's garden") is a community pre-school and day-care centre in a village or slum for children of about three to six years, usually run by a voluntary organisation. The Central Social Welfare Board (set up in 1953) and later agencies gave grants for balwadis. Balwadis have a teacher and a helper; they offer free play, songs, stories, nutrition and health care. Compared with a creche, a balwadi has a stronger education focus; compared with a nursery school, it is low-cost and community-managed.

Pioneers in India

PersonContribution
Gijubhai BadhekaGujarat; started a Bal Mandir in Bhavnagar using Montessori ideas in an Indian setting
Tarabai ModakMaharashtra; worked with Anutai Wagh, Kosbad Hill; pioneered pre-school for tribal and rural children, known for low-cost local teaching aids
Central Social Welfare BoardGave grants and promoted balwadi and creche schemes

Pre-school education: ideas and thinkers

ThinkerIdea
RousseauLet the child grow naturally; learning from nature
PestalozziLearning from real objects and by senses, with love and the home as the model
FroebelFounded the "kindergarten" ("child garden") in 1837; stressed play, songs, "gifts" (play objects) and "occupations" (activities)
Maria MontessoriCasa dei Bambini (Children's House) in Rome in 1907; stressed freedom within a prepared environment, self-correcting didactic materials, practical life exercises, sensory training
Margaret McMillanPioneer of the nursery school and open-air nursery for poor children in England
Piaget, VygotskyGave scientific basis: children learn by acting on things and with help from adults and peers

Montessori method in brief: child-sized furniture; materials that isolate one quality (colour, size, shape, texture); teacher acts as a guide (directress); self-pacing; practical life skills such as pouring and buttoning.

Froebel's kindergarten in brief: songs, games, gifts (balls, blocks) and occupations (paper folding, clay), gardening and group life.

Objectives of pre-school education

  • All-round development: physical, social, emotional, language and thinking skills.
  • Good habits of health, cleanliness and routines.
  • Preparation for primary school ("school readiness"), without formal reading and writing pressure.
  • Compensation for poor home stimulation among poor children.
  • Care and play for children whose parents work.

Principles and methods

  • Child-centred and activity-based; learning through play; use of the senses.
  • Start from what the child knows; move from concrete to abstract and from simple to complex.
  • Use of local, low-cost, safe teaching aids.
  • Balanced day plan with active and quiet activities, indoor and outdoor.
  • Positive guidance; no physical punishment; no formal exams; no heavy bag.
  • Respect for mother tongue and local culture.
  • Parent and community involvement.

A typical day at the anganwadi: free play and arrival, circle time (greeting, songs, news), language activities (stories, rhymes, picture talk), number and concept play, art and craft, outdoor games, hygiene routine and meal, rest, closing songs. Activities: sorting and matching seeds, sand and water play, clay modelling, drawing, role play, music and movement, simple puzzles.

Planning and records: monthly activity chart, attendance register, growth chart, child's progress notes. The Anganwadi worker follows a preschool curriculum and uses a kit of play materials.

ICDS and the anganwadi

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme began on 2 October 1975. It is a centrally supported scheme run in AP by the department of women and child welfare. The anganwadi centre (anganwadi means "courtyard shelter") is the village-level unit and is run by an Anganwadi worker with a helper.

Six services

  • 1. Supplementary nutrition
  • 2. Immunization
  • 3. Health check-up
  • 4. Referral services
  • 5. Pre-school non-formal education (for ages 3 to 6)
  • 6. Nutrition and health education (mainly for women aged 15 to 45)

Beneficiaries: children under six, pregnant women, nursing mothers and, in some areas, adolescent girls.

Training and support: the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) trains ICDS functionaries. A supervisor guides a group of anganwadi centres and checks records, growth monitoring and quality of services. ICDS has been strengthened under Poshan Abhiyaan and Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 with a focus on nutrition and early learning.

TypeMain purposeAge groupRun by
CrecheFull-day care for working mothers' children6 months to 6 yearsGovernment, voluntary groups, employers
BalwadiCommunity pre-school and careAbout 3 to 6 yearsVoluntary organisations
Nursery schoolStructured pre-school3 to 5 yearsPrivate or public
AnganwadiNutrition, health and non-formal pre-school0 to 6 years, mothersICDS, Government

Role of the Anganwadi worker in pre-school education

The worker prepares a daily plan, arranges the room in activity corners (for example a story corner, a block corner and a role-play corner), makes simple aids from local materials, and speaks to children in the home language. She observes each child, notes progress, and shares it with parents. She keeps children safe, ensures hand washing before meals, and works with the helper to serve food on time. She also welcomes mothers into the centre, so that parents learn how to play and talk with their children at home. Early stimulation of babies below three years through home visits is also part of good practice.

Exam traps

  • Kindergarten is Froebel; Casa dei Bambini is Montessori.
  • A creche mainly provides care; a balwadi emphasises education.
  • ICDS started on 2 October 1975, not at independence.
  • Article 21A covers 6 to 14; Article 45 covers up to six years.
  • "Pre-school non-formal education" is one of the six ICDS services; education is not the only one.
  • The Maternity Benefit Act (1961) is not the same as the Factories Act.
  • Montessori's teacher is a guide, not a lecturer.
  • Tarabai Modak and Gijubhai Badheka are different pioneers (Maharashtra and Gujarat).

One-liners

  • 1. Froebel started the first kindergarten.
  • 2. Montessori's first school was the Children's House in Rome.
  • 3. The Central Social Welfare Board was set up in 1953.
  • 4. ICDS was launched on 2 October 1975.
  • 5. ICDS offers six services.
  • 6. Anganwadi means courtyard shelter.
  • 7. Creche care is for the children of working mothers.
  • 8. Pre-school methods are play-way and activity-based.
  • 9. The 2017 amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act made creches mandatory above a size limit.
  • 10. NIPCCD trains ICDS workers.
  • 11. Gijubhai Badheka was a Montessori-inspired Indian educator.
  • 12. Pre-school curriculum should avoid heavy formal reading and writing.

Practice questions

  1. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme was launched on

    1. 14 November 1985
    2. 2 October 1975
    3. 15 August 1947
    4. 26 January 1950
    Answer

    B. 2 October 1975

    ICDS began on 2 October 1975.

  2. The kindergarten system of pre-school education was founded by

    1. Rousseau
    2. Montessori
    3. Froebel
    4. Pestalozzi
    Answer

    C. Froebel

    Friedrich Froebel founded the kindergarten (child garden) in 1837.

  3. Casa dei Bambini (Children's House) was started by

    1. Maria Montessori
    2. Froebel
    3. McMillan
    4. Gijubhai Badheka
    Answer

    A. Maria Montessori

    Maria Montessori opened the Children's House in Rome in 1907.

  4. The number of services provided under ICDS is

    1. Three
    2. Five
    3. Four
    4. Six
    Answer

    D. Six

    ICDS provides six services from supplementary nutrition to nutrition and health education.

  5. The word anganwadi means

    1. Children's garden
    2. Courtyard shelter
    3. Mother's school
    4. Health post
    Answer

    B. Courtyard shelter

    Angan means courtyard; an anganwadi is a courtyard-based village centre.

  6. Which Article of the Constitution directs the State to provide early childhood care and education up to six years?

    1. Article 51A
    2. Article 24
    3. Article 45
    4. Article 21A
    Answer

    C. Article 45

    Article 45, as amended by the 86th Amendment, covers children below six.

  7. The pre-school education component of ICDS is meant for children of

    1. 3 to 6 years
    2. 1 to 2 years
    3. 0 to 6 months
    4. 6 to 12 months
    Answer

    A. 3 to 6 years

    Non-formal pre-school education covers 3 to 6 years.

  8. Which of the following is NOT an ICDS service?

    1. Supplementary nutrition
    2. Secondary school education
    3. Referral services
    4. Immunization
    Answer

    B. Secondary school education

    ICDS offers nutrition, immunization, health check-up, referral, pre-school education and nutrition and health education.

  9. The word balwadi literally means

    1. Children's hospital
    2. Mother's courtyard
    3. Play ground
    4. Children's garden
    Answer

    D. Children's garden

    Bal means child and wadi means garden.

  10. In the Montessori method the teacher is called a

    1. Monitor
    2. Directress (guide)
    3. Lecturer
    4. Examiner
    Answer

    B. Directress (guide)

    The teacher guides the child rather than lectures.

  11. The Central Social Welfare Board, which supported balwadis and creches, was set up in

    1. 1935
    2. 1947
    3. 1975
    4. 1953
    Answer

    D. 1953

    The Board was established in 1953.

  12. The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) mainly

    1. Trains ICDS functionaries
    2. Runs primary schools
    3. Pays maternity benefit
    4. Manufactures vaccines
    Answer

    A. Trains ICDS functionaries

    NIPCCD provides training and research support to child development workers.

  13. Which pioneer worked on low-cost pre-school education for tribal children at Kosbad Hill?

    1. Gijubhai Badheka
    2. Margaret McMillan
    3. Tarabai Modak
    4. Maria Montessori
    Answer

    C. Tarabai Modak

    Tarabai Modak, with Anutai Wagh, developed rural and tribal pre-schools at Kosbad.

  14. Gijubhai Badheka is remembered for

    1. Writing the ICDS guidelines
    2. Opening the first creche in Delhi
    3. Starting Bal Mandir using Montessori ideas in Gujarat
    4. Founding the kindergarten
    Answer

    C. Starting Bal Mandir using Montessori ideas in Gujarat

    He adapted Montessori ideas to Indian children in Bhavnagar.

  15. Under the Maternity Benefit Act as amended in 2017, a creche is required in an establishment with

    1. 10 or more employees
    2. 25 or more employees
    3. 500 or more employees
    4. 50 or more employees
    Answer

    D. 50 or more employees

    The amendment made a creche mandatory for establishments with 50 or more employees.

  16. Mobile creches are mainly meant for the children of

    1. Bank employees
    2. Migrant construction workers
    3. Government teachers
    4. Farmers with large land
    Answer

    B. Migrant construction workers

    They move with the work site to care for children of migrant workers.

  17. In Froebel's method, the play objects such as balls and blocks are called

    1. Gifts
    2. Occupations
    3. Schemas
    4. Didactic apparatus
    Answer

    A. Gifts

    Froebel's gifts are objects; occupations are activities like paper folding.

  18. The most suitable method for teaching pre-school children is

    1. Dictation method
    2. Examination method
    3. Play-way method
    4. Lecture method
    Answer

    C. Play-way method

    Young children learn through play and activity.

  19. Self-correcting didactic materials are a feature of the

    1. Kindergarten method
    2. Montessori method
    3. McMillan nursery
    4. Anganwadi curriculum alone
    Answer

    B. Montessori method

    Montessori materials let the child detect and correct errors alone.

  20. The main difference between a creche and a balwadi is that

    1. A creche is only for adults
    2. A balwadi gives full-day care to infants
    3. A creche is a primary school
    4. A creche stresses full-day care while a balwadi stresses early education
    Answer

    D. A creche stresses full-day care while a balwadi stresses early education

    Creches look after children of working mothers; balwadis give community pre-school education.

  21. The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme was meant for children of working mothers aged

    1. 6 months to 6 years
    2. 6 to 14 years
    3. 14 to 18 years
    4. Newborns only
    Answer

    A. 6 months to 6 years

    The scheme supported day care for children from six months to six years.

  22. Supplementary nutrition in an anganwadi means

    1. Giving vitamin injections
    2. Replacing the home meal fully
    3. Extra food given to fill the gap in the child's diet
    4. Distribution of milk powder for sale
    Answer

    C. Extra food given to fill the gap in the child's diet

    It is extra food that supplements, not replaces, the home diet.

  23. The pioneer of the nursery school and open-air nursery for poor children in England was

    1. Piaget
    2. Pestalozzi
    3. Froebel
    4. Margaret McMillan
    Answer

    D. Margaret McMillan

    Margaret McMillan developed nursery schools for poor children.

  24. Pestalozzi stressed that children should learn

    1. Only from books
    2. By memorising
    3. Through punishment
    4. Through real objects and the senses
    Answer

    D. Through real objects and the senses

    Pestalozzi supported sense training with real objects and a loving, home-like setting.

  25. Which of the following is NOT suitable in an anganwadi pre-school?

    1. Free play
    2. Formal written tests for four-year-olds
    3. Clay modelling
    4. Story telling
    Answer

    B. Formal written tests for four-year-olds

    Pre-school should avoid formal tests and heavy reading and writing.

  26. Article 21A of the Constitution provides the right to free and compulsory education for children aged

    1. 6 to 14 years
    2. 14 to 18 years
    3. 0 to 3 years
    4. 3 to 6 years
    Answer

    A. 6 to 14 years

    Article 21A covers ages 6 to 14.

  27. The National Education Policy 2020 treats which age group as the foundational stage?

    1. 0 to 3 years
    2. 3 to 5 years only
    3. 3 to 8 years
    4. 6 to 14 years
    Answer

    C. 3 to 8 years

    The foundational stage covers ages 3 to 8, including pre-school.

  28. Nutrition and health education under ICDS is mainly aimed at women aged

    1. 15 to 45
    2. 12 to 15
    3. 10 to 12
    4. 45 to 60
    Answer

    A. 15 to 45

    The service targets women in the reproductive age group, 15 to 45 years.

  29. Which pair is correctly matched?

    1. Montessori - kindergarten
    2. Froebel - gifts and occupations
    3. Froebel - Casa dei Bambini
    4. McMillan - didactic apparatus
    Answer

    B. Froebel - gifts and occupations

    Froebel developed gifts and occupations; Montessori founded Casa dei Bambini.

  30. Consider the statements. 1. ICDS began in 1975. 2. ICDS is only for children above six years. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    ICDS serves children under six and mothers.

  31. Consider the statements. 1. The kindergarten was started by Montessori. 2. Casa dei Bambini was started by Montessori. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Froebel started the kindergarten.

  32. Consider the statements. 1. Article 45 deals with early childhood care and education. 2. Article 21A covers ages 6 to 14. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  33. Consider the statements. 1. Tarabai Modak started Bal Mandir in Bhavnagar. 2. Gijubhai Badheka worked at Kosbad Hill. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    The two places are swapped; Badheka worked in Bhavnagar and Modak at Kosbad.

  34. Consider the statements. 1. The Maternity Benefit Act requires creches in larger establishments. 2. A mother may visit the creche only once a day. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The amended law allows four visits a day, including the rest interval.

  35. Consider the statements. 1. Pre-school education should stress formal reading and writing. 2. Pre-school education should stress play and activity. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Early learning is play-based and not formal.

  36. Consider the statements. 1. ICDS offers six services. 2. Pre-school non-formal education is one of the services. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  37. Consider the statements. 1. An anganwadi centre is run by the supervisor alone. 2. Anganwadi means children's garden. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    It is run by a worker and a helper; anganwadi means courtyard shelter, while balwadi is children's garden.

  38. Consider the statements. 1. Mobile creches move with the work site. 2. Mobile creches are only for rural villages. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    They follow migrant workers, usually at construction sites in cities.

  39. Consider the statements. 1. A balwadi is meant for babies under six months. 2. Balwadis are usually run by voluntary organisations. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Balwadis serve about 3 to 6 year olds.

  40. Consider the statements. 1. NIPCCD trains child development workers. 2. A supervisor checks records and growth monitoring in anganwadi centres. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both statements are correct.

  41. Consider the statements. 1. Rousseau started the first kindergarten. 2. Margaret McMillan founded a Montessori school. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    Froebel started the kindergarten; McMillan was a nursery school pioneer.

  42. Consider the statements. 1. Froebel's occupations include paper folding and clay work. 2. Self-correcting didactic material is a feature of Froebel's method. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Self-correcting didactic material is a Montessori feature.

  43. Consider the statements. 1. Article 45 covers children from 6 to 14 years. 2. The foundational stage in NEP 2020 includes pre-school. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Article 45 covers children below six.

  44. Consider the statements. 1. Local, low-cost materials are good teaching aids. 2. Physical punishment has no place in pre-school. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are principles of good pre-school practice.

  45. Consider the statements. 1. Maria Montessori was from England. 2. Pestalozzi was Italian. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    Montessori was Italian and Pestalozzi was Swiss.

Page 1 of 1
‹
›