Laying a different foundation

Attitudes develop early in the childhood,'' holds Freny Tarapore, former principal of SNDT College for home science and current president...

Attitudes develop early in the childhood,8221; holds Freny Tarapore, former principal of SNDT College for home science and current president of the Indian Association for Pre-school Education IAPE. Working on this surmise, it has been the endeavour of this 35-year-old non-profit organisation to establish a strong early learning foundation for children on which all other education of their lives is dependent.

With 17 branches all over the country and over 2,000 members, the main focus of the association has been to motivate teachers to break away from the traditional methods of teaching and help children to learn through fun.

The Pune chapter with about 150 members has been similarly endeavouring to reach out to both English and Marathi medium schools by means of regular workshops for teachers where latest and more interesting teaching tools are conceived of, discussed and later implemented at individual teaching levels.

It was thus that their latest workshop held recently at the Dr Shamarao Kalmadi High School, in association with the Madhuban Educational Forum, took up the traditional subject of festivals only to ingeniously bring home the more modern and relevant lessons of environment protection through the celebrations.

8220;Festivals form an integral part of primary and pre-primary curriculum but usually they are used only to acquaint children with the country8217;s cultural heritage,8221; explains Tarapore.

8220;We decided to take up the four main festivals of Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Utsav and Nag Panchami and through them educate the children about the importance of environment protection. For example, how crackers other than bringing cheer to the youngsters are also responsible for noise pollution. Or how the colours and rubber balloons used for Holi are hazardous for the environment. Or the traffic and noise pollution issues that may surface during Ganesh Utsav.

8220;Contrary to the belief that pre-school children may be too young to grasp the significance of such issues, we find that this is the right age to develop a healthy attitude that will stay with them throughout their lives. These include the right attitude towards environmental protection, personal safety and a respect for others8217; property and life.8221;

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The main activities of the IAPE revolve around conducting research into early childhood, collecting information and making the findings available for use; holding seminars, lectures and workshops to focus on a particular aspect of pre-school learning; providing support and advice for the practical experimentation of the playway method and acting as an alarm bell, highlighting existing shortcomings, initiating public debates and awareness on all matters concerning children.

8220;For the past many years, we have been consistently campaigning for doing away with entrance examinations for the pre-school children and now we do find more and more schools in Pune adopting a similar attitude. Then we have been working on the need to reduce the academic pressure on young minds. Early pressure can only lead to instilling hatred in the minds of the kids for reading and writing. While if these are introduced later, when the children are ready for it, not only will they pick up the skills in no time but they will also do so with pleasure,8221; states Tarapore, touching upon the times the IAPE has made a laudable difference.

As Nalini Sengupta, principal Vikhe Patil Memorial School and joint secretary of the organisation, adds, 8220;We are concerned mainly with a balanced and all-round development of the child, rather than merely an academic one.8221; The idea being to effect a change for the better, slowly but surely.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More