Abstract: Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is the foundation of cognitive, emotional and social development in early learners and kindergarten education plays a critical role in influencing the outcome of life long learning. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India has brought some major reforms based on the reorganization of early education into a system of 5+3+3+4, and a focus on play-based, experiential, and competency-based approaches to learning. It is a qualitative review study of the available literature on kindergarten education in India with respect to teaching methods and institutional practices regarding ECCE within the framework of NEP 2020. Based on peer-reviewed journal articles, policy reports, and institutional reports, the study synthesizes key findings by using thematic analysis. The findings reveal an obvious pedagogical change towards rote learning to child-centered, activity-based pedagogy that promotes holistic development. But the analysis also shows that there are still implementation issues such as lack of proper teacher training, insufficient infrastructures, and disparities between rural and urban environments. In spite of good policy intentions, there are still gaps between the formulation of the policies and the practice at the classroom level. The research finds that teacher education, the capacity of the institutions, and equitable access are critical in ensuring effective ECCE implementation in India. The research findings underscore the importance of long-term policy support and context-specific reforms to achieve the full potential of NEP 2020 on early childhood education.
Keywords: Kindergarten education, ECCE, NEP 2020, play-based learning, India, early childhood pedagogy, institutional practices.
Title: Kindergarten Education in India: An Analytical Review of Teaching Methods and Institutional Practices within Emerging Educational Initiatives
Author: Tazeem Aijaz
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
Vol. 14, Issue 2, April 2026 - June 2026
Page No: 124-129
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 06-June-2026
