SRINAGAR: In a major boost to early childhood care and education in Jammu and Kashmir, the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Kashmir Division (SCERT-KD) successfully concluded a landmark month-long training programme for more than 3,000 Aayas (ECCE Helpers) across all 10 districts of the Kashmir division.
Implemented in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK), UNICEF and the Jammu & Kashmir Association of Social Workers (JKASW), the initiative is being hailed by educationists as the watershed event in the education landscape, being the largest capacity-building exercise for school support staff in the region, with the prospect of translating into holistic development of children. Each district trained 300 Aayas(ECCE helpers) through a phased schedule conducted between November 3 and December 9, 2025.
The officials said the training focused on equipping Aayas(ECCE helpers) with essential skills, clarity on responsibilities and an understanding of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) framework.
Nearly 50 trained Resource Persons were deployed across districts after undergoing a three-day preparatory workshop at SCERT in October 2025.
The successful completion of the large-scale training marks a significant milestone in strengthening foundational learning in government schools across Kashmir. It recognises the vital role of Aayas in pre-primary classrooms and reinforces the commitment of SCERT-KD, UNICEF and partner organisations toward building supportive, child-friendly learning environments across the Valley.
