Bhopal, March 24 : In a significant step to strengthen preâ??school education in Madhya Pradesh, the stateâ??s Women and Child Development Department on Tuesday organised a special programme across all Anganwadi centres to distribute â??Vidyarambhâ?? certificates to children who have completed their preâ??school education.

The certificates were given to children aged between five and six years, formally recognising their foundational learning at Anganwadi centres and facilitating their transition to formal schooling.

Madhya Pradesh Women and Child Development Minister Nirmala Bhuria inaugurated the main event organised at an Anganwadi centre in the Nehru Nagar area in Bhopal.

Minister Bhuria distributed Vidyarambh certificates to children who have completed their early education at Anganwadis and are now preparing to enrol in formal schools.

After the Minister formally inaugurated the event in Bhopal, the process of distribution of Vidyarambh certificates was followed in more than 97,000 Anganwadi centres operating across the state. Local officials from the Women and Child Development Department joined the programme.

Speaking on this occasion, Minister Nirmala Bhuria remarked that Anganwadi centres serve as the most crucial early learning institutions in a childâ??s life, where comprehensive care is provided for both nutrition and education.

â??Anganwadi centres are not merely childcare places, but it also serves as a hub for maternal and child health, nutrition, and early education. Here, care is provided for everything -- from the registration of pregnant women to the birth of the child and their subsequent nutrition, health, and holistic development up to the age of six years,â?? she said.

Bhuria highlighted that during the critical age range of 3 to 6 years, special emphasis is placed on the physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development of children at Anganwadi centres.

Meanwhile, commending the Anganwadi workers, the Minister noted that they are discharging numerous vital responsibilities such as maternal and child health, nutrition, and education with unwavering dedication.

â??It is a testament to their tireless efforts that, every year, hundreds of thousands of children receive quality early education at Anganwadi centres and are subsequently prepared to enrol in formal schools,â?? she added.

The 'Vidyarambh' certificate is an Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) document issued to Anganwadi students upon completing their preschool education, facilitating their transition to primary school. It serves as a formal record of their early learning, typically including details like the child's ID, enrolment date, and Anganwadi centre information.

/IANS