BHUBANESWAR : “Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as envisaged under Article 45 of the Constitution of India is the single most facilitator and enabling provision for realisation of Fundamental Rights to Education,” opined participants at a seminar on Right to Early Childhood Care and Education: Legal Status in India, organised by National Campaign for ECCE Right (NCER) here today. Inaugurating the seminar, eminent economist Prof. Baidyanath Mishra expressed his apprehension about realisation of right to education of children without preparedness of children through ECCE services at early childhood stage before six years of age. He viewed that ECCE is a powerful boost to prepare the children to cope with the education system at subsequent stages. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. UN Dash said that universal elementary education is elusive despite flagship programmes like SSA, which has proved that readiness of children to receive primary education is completely absent. The readiness of children to attend the primary education is depended upon realisation of right to pre-primary education and care, he felt. Chairing the seminar, noted Sarvoday leader and president of Clap (Committee for Legal Aid to Poor) Mr Shyam Sundar Das opined that ECCE not only bear positive significance for the development of the child, it also grossly contributes to the child success in formal education. The convener of the national campaign for ECCE right Mr Bikash Das, strongly viewed that statutory back up to Article 45 is highly essential as this is the enabling provision for achieving the objectives of fundamental right to education. He further said that absence of a law on pre-primary education discriminates the vast chunk of children of unprivileged sections in availing ECCE services in comparison to the children of privileged sections who avail this service through an expensive kindergarten model of education. This demonstrates the inequality in availing education opportunities as a very few children of privileged section experience fruitful education by availing ECCE services while other children are deprived of it due to the poor economic status of their parents. “In this context, there is an urgent need to have a law on ECCE in order to prevent such discrimination and to promote equality in availing educational opportunities,” he pointed out.