AT THE 26TH WORLD CONGRESS 2010

Kidzee the largest chain of pre-schools in India participated as the 26th World Congress held in Sweden in August 2010at the 26th World Congress. Kidzee is the first organization to represent India at this global platform in past 26 years.

Kidzee was identified as the perfect India chapter for OMEP on two parameters: Kidzee's competency based structured curriculum - 'iLLUME' and acknowledged largest pan-India reach across 315 cities through 750 pre-schools. Kidzee shares OMEP's passion and endeavor in children's rights, education for sustainable development and to create awareness on the importance of early childhood education.

To take forward the world congress vision for India, Kidzee would undertake initiatives towards streamlining the early childhood education teaching methods in India. The first initiative would be to bring about a marked change in teachers’ approach in classrooms. Towards this Kidzee will undertake a survey of about 200 teachers across India to understand and analyze the inadequacy faced by teachers in implementing the correct pedagogy.  Once identified, Kidzee would undertake corrective measures to create a uniform teaching method.

Apart from this, Kidzee on behalf of OMEP will also re-construct the method of teaching for a sustainable development of early childhood education. This will be aimed at instilling the green habits in our children so that they start caring for mother earth. E.g.: There would be two different dustbins placed in each of the Kidzee classroom named as organic waste and un-organic waste, the children will be guided to throw the waste by the adult in the class…a simple activity will be performed before initiating them into this. The class will bury some leftover food in a pot, also a small plastic lego piece…after a few days they are dug out, the children observe the change in the food particles…the children themselves will conclude that organic means gets disintegrated, and the other kinds do not…based on this the waste paper bins are given and the children encouraged to do the same.

The 26th World Congress is the largest international meeting held in the field of sustainable education development. About 52 countries participated in this congress. It was a three day event that presented lectures, workshops, seminars, social activities and visits to preschools and primary schools. It united people, teachers, researchers and other participants from around the world and provided an opportunity to learn and share their experiences. The conference was is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the importance of capturing children's perspectives and experiences.

Commenting on the occasion, Nitya Ramaswami, Head Child Development and Academics, Zee Learn (Pre-schools & Schools), “ A great learning experience, exchange of ideas and oneness in doing what is right for the child”
Kidzee’s unique pedagogy iLLUME is in alignment with OMEP’s aspiration to create maximum awareness on the importance of early child hood education. iLLUME is a competency based structured curriculum with the child in centre. It lays before child diverse pathways: visual, auditory, interpersonal, kinesthetic & intrapersonal, thereby differentiating itself from the one-size-fits-all approach followed in most of the Indian preschools. The ambience of the classroom is created in a way that nurtures the child’s innate need to enquire and discover in their own unique ways.