The guidelines launched by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Women & Child Development to align with the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

• NEP 2020 recognizes Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as the foundation of the learning continuum by integrating three years of pre-school into the 5+3+3+4 structure.
• Objectives of Co-location 
  • To ensure school preparedness and smooth transition of children from Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) to Grade 1 in primary schools.
  • Facilitates better utilization of infrastructure, enhances school readiness, and strengthens convergence between the education and nutrition sectors.
  • Enhance learning and developmental outcomes.
• Current Status: Over 14 lakh AWCs and in 9.16 lakh schools with Grade 1, 2.9 lakh AWCs are already co-located.
• Recommendations:
  • Co-located schools should not exceed 500 meters in urban areas and 1 km in rural areas.
  • Prioritize co-location of those AWCs where most of the children belong to marginalized groups (economically weaker sections, tribal areas, and migrant families).
  • Co-location may preferably be considered in schools with Grade 1 that do not have an existing Balvatika/pre-primary class.
  • Co-located AWCs should have separate entry and exit gates.