''Balwadi'' is a native marathi name for pre-schools in Maharashtra. It has been defined by
J. S. Grewal who is quoted by R. P. Shukla as "A rural pre-primary school run economically but scientifically and using as many educational aids as possible, prepared from locally available material". It was developed by
Tarabai Modak, the first balwadi was started in Bordi a coastal village in
Thane district
Thane district (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, ˆÊ°aËɳe previously named Taana or Thana) is a districts of Maharashtra, district in the Konkan Division of Maharashtra, India. At the 2011 Census it was the most populated district in the c ...
of
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
by ''Nutan Bal Shikshan Sangh'' in 1945.
Modak started two types of balwadis namely ''central balwadi'' and ''angan balwadi'' or ''
anganwadi
Anganwadi () is a type of rural child care centre in India. It was started by the Indian government in 1975 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program to combat child hunger and malnutrition. ''Anganwadi'' in Hindi means ...
''. ''Central balwadis'' function during regular school hours and are centrally located whereas angan balwadis are located in the neighbourhood of the children targeted and have hours at their convenience. Modak's was a pioneer effort in providing non-formal education at pre-school level in India.
The purpose of balwadis is to provide a child facilities for physical and mental growth at school and at home.
Thousands of balwadis have been set up all over India by government and non-government agencies.
Balwadis were further developed as a part of the government of India's poverty alleviation programme by universalising education. They were developed for children of India's rural poor.
The
Balwadi Nutrition Programme provides food for children at these schools.
Further reading
* ''Inside Mumbai Children of the Balwadi: Changing the Face of Education'', by Asha Saraswat. Ices Pub, 2005. .
*
How to run a Balwadi: sample of a do-it-yourself guide-book', by
Anutai Wagh. Unesco-UNICEF Co-operative Programme, 1979.
References
{{reflist
External links
A balwadi in every village
Early childhood education in India
Hindi words and phrases
Rural development in India
History of education in India
Welfare in India