What Are Balvatikas? 10 Things To Know About Preparatory Classes CBSE Schools Will Now Have
CBSE has approved opening of branch schools under the same name to house Balvatikas as per NEP norms. Earlier, KVs introduced Balvatikas in its schools and started admission from 2024-25 session.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has said all schools affiliated to it can now open Balvatika branches accommodating playschools and kindergarten schools within the campus. These branches will bear the same name, and affiliation, as that of the parent school, The Hindu reported, adding that nearly 30,000 affiliated schools will be eligible to apply for opening branches from the 2026-27 academic year.
Earlier, Kendriya Vidyalayas introduced Balvatika classes in its schools and started admission from the 2024-25 session. The move is in consonance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommendation, which says schools should have Balvatikas for children aged 3-6 years within the campus.
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What Are Balvatikas?
Balvatikas are pre-primary education centres introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to provide early childhood care and education (ECCE) for children aged 3 to 6 years. These centres serve as preparatory stages before formal schooling, ensuring children develop foundational literacy, numeracy, cognitive skills, and socio-emotional learning.
The 'preparatory classes' that admits children up to the age of 5 prepares a child for primary education, and hence Balvatika occurs before Class 1.
Nearly 30,000 CBSE-schools affiliated with CBSE are eligible to apply for opening branch schools. “The schools can apply for establishing branch schools with effect from academic year 2026-27 on SARAS portal,” he said.
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10 Things To Know About Balvatikas
1. Balvatikas are pre-primary education centres introduced under NEP 2020 to provide Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for children aged 3-6 years.
2. The curriculum focuses on play-based, activity-based, and experiential learning, encouraging creativity, curiosity, and foundational literacy and numeracy.
3. Balvatikas are attached to schools and anganwadi centres to ensure a smooth transition from early education to formal schooling.
4. ECCE, which includes Balvatika, focuses on children aged 3-8, divided into two parts — ages 3-6 in ECCE and ages 6-8 in Class I and II in primary school.
5. School timings usually 3 hours per day, five days a week, and no uniforms are prescribed for Balvatika classes.
6. Balvatikas align with India's new education structure, which includes five years of foundational education (three years of pre-primary + Grades 1 & 2).
7. Children are encouraged to learn in their mother tongue or local language, promoting early language development and cognitive growth.
8. Teachers in Balvatikas receive specialised ECCE training, mentored by the Cluster Resource Centres (CRCs) of the school education department to implement child-friendly pedagogies and ensure holistic development.
9. The curriculum follows the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS), which emphasises interactive and experiential learning.
10. Ministries responsible for the planning and implementation of ECCE are Human Resource and Development, Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Tribal Affairs.
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