Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education DECE
The Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education is a programme for continuous knowledge and skills up-gradation for those working in the sector of Early Childhood Care and Education. It is a unique holistic package that equips the learner to foster the holistic development of young children (i.e., children from birth to 6 years of age) and will be of interest to those who are working with children in birth to six age group in diverse settings, such as creches, preschools, pre-primary classes, nursery schools, Anganwadi and balwadis; those managing such early childhood care and
education centres; parents and others interested in knowing about the development of young children.
Eligibility: 10+2 or its equivalent
Duration: Minimum 1 year and Maximum 4 years; offered in both January & July cycle of admissions
Fee Structure: Rs. 3,000/- for full programme
Medium of Instruction: English, Hindi & Tami
Programme Details:
| Course Code | Title of the Course | Credits | Download |
| DECE 1 | Organizing Child Care Services | 8 | |
| DECE 2 | Child Health and Nutrition | 8 | |
| DECE 3 | Services and Programmes for Children | 8 | |
| DECE 4 | Project Work : Working with Young Children in a Child Care Setting | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 32 |
Project Work is a vital component of the programme. The learner has to identify a preschool centre that follows a play-based pedagogy for undertaking the Project Work and organize play activities and learning experiences with children there for a period of 30 working days, as described in the Project Manual. A preschool caters to
children between 3+ to 5+ years of age or 3+ to 6+ years of age, before they join class 1 in a primary school.