School Organisation, Administration and Community Relations
Types of provision
Crèche or day-care (0–3, care focus), anganwadi/balwadi (ICDS-linked, community based), nursery school, kindergarten (often 4–6), Montessori house of children, and pre-primary sections attached to schools. Registration, space, safety and staffing norms differ, but all require records, a first-aid box, safe drinking water and child-safe toilets.
Administration essentials
- Admission and attendance registers, health cards, immunisation records, observation-based progress reports.
- Teacher–child ratio: commonly about 1:10 for under-threes and 1:20–1:25 for 3–6-year-olds; ratio matters more than decoration.
- Staff roles: head or coordinator, teachers, helper/ayah, cook, cleaner.
- Annual plan, budget, stock register, inspection file.
- Safety: POCSO compliance, staff verification, fire extinguisher, no unsupervised water, visitor register.
Community relations
Parents are partners, not spectators: PTA/SMC meetings, volunteering, home visits, and convergence with the local anganwadi, ASHA and PHC for health check-ups and referral. Communicate in the home language and display children's work rather than ranks.
Worked example
A centre has 45 children aged 3–5, two teachers and one helper. At a 1:20 norm, 45 children need three teachers; two teachers give 1:22.5, and a helper cannot be counted as a teacher. Remedy: appoint one more teacher or cap admission at 40.
Traps
Assuming the RTE Act 2009 covers nursery admission (it guarantees free education from age six); counting a helper as a qualified teacher; keeping records only for inspection day.