Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Course, Admission, Fees 2023

Q: What is the scope of early childhood education in India?

As per the 2011 consensus, children in the age group 0 6 years comprise a total population of 158 million in the country. India's government approved the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy in 2013 that tells the importance and focus on childhood education. The sector will require childhood education experts, and hence the job prospects look promising in the coming years.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education is a one-year diploma course. Candidates who have completed higher secondary(10+2) or equivalent exams with a minimum of 50% marks can apply for this full-time diploma course .

Diploma in Early Childhood Education provides in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge of skills and aptitude needed to foster young children's development (Upto 6 Years of Age). The course is well suited for candidates looking to make a career in child care education, pre-schools, family daycare education.

Know More: PGD in Early Childhood Education

Every institute has different eligibility criteria and fees structure for diploma in early childhood education. The fees for this course ranges from INR 2,400 to INR 1,00,000 depending on the mode of education and academic infrastructure of the college/university.

Candidates can work in both governments as well as the private sector after Diploma in Early Childhood Education course. The average starting salary after Diploma in Early Childhood Education ranges from INR 2,00,000 to INR 4,00,000.

Table of Content

Diploma in Early Childhood Education Course Highlights
Diploma in Early Childhood Education: What is it All About?
Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Course Advantages
Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Admission Process

4.1 Eligibility Criteria

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Top Colleges

5.1 College Comparison

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Syllabus

6.1 Recommended Books

Diploma in Early Childhood Education Course Comparison
Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Job Prospects

8.1 Future Scope

Diploma in Early Childhood Education FAQs

Diploma in Early Childhood Education Course Highlights

Course Level	Diploma
Duration	1 years
Examination Type	Semester based
Mode	(Full Time)In-Person and Distance Learning
Eligibility	Higher Secondary (10+2) or equivalent with minimum 50% marks
Admission Process	Merit or Entrance Based
Course Fee	INR 2,500 to INR 1,00,000
Average Salary	INR 3,00,000 to INR 5,00,000
Top Recruiters	Academic Institution, Community Health Care Centres, Day Care Facilities, Children Hospitals, Government Welfare Agencies, Anganwadis, Play Schools, NGOs
Job Positions	Pre-Primary Teacher, Centre Coordinator, Educational Consultant, Home Tutor

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: What is it All About?

Diploma in Early Childhood Education provides knowledge, skills, and techniques required to manage young children's education and development below the age of six.
The course is specifically for teachers and individuals looking to make a career in pre-schools, pre-primary schools, nursery schools, anganwadis, or setting up or managing childhood care centers.
This course helps candidates understand young children's development, needs, and rights (birth to six years).
Throughout the course, students are also provided knowledge about common childhood illnesses, take care of sick children, and take necessary preventive measures. Candidates learn to take care of children with special needs.
Diploma in Early Childhood Education also imparts knowledge and skills to candidates to provide guidance and consultation to parents of young children and assist them with issues related to child health, nutrition, and providing early stimulation and take adequate preventive actions.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Course Advantages

Awareness around elementary education and child care at an early age (age six and below) has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years. There is a great demand for skilled educators equipped with knowledge and childhood education techniques.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education course provides a foundation in childhood education.
It covers topics such as child development and psychology, child Nutrition, life coping skills, pedagogy and planning, and organization of pre-schools and daycare centers.
The Early Childhood Education Diploma course prepares the candidates to work in varied elementary education fields. They can work in government and private sectors or become entrepreneurs by starting their daycare facility.
The candidates also have an option to higher studies in the education field and become specialized teachers, creating a new innovative curriculum for childhood education.
Some of the top employment profiles in this field are Primary School Teacher, Day Care Coordinator, Preschool Center Head/Director.
The average starting salary ranges from INR 3,00,000 to INR 5,00,000.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Admission Process

The candidate will have to go through the selection process acceptable by the college/university in which they wish to study. Admission for the Early Childhood Education course is merit or entrance based. Colleges offer admission based on overall performance, including scores from the entrance exam, interview, and 10+2 marks.

Students need to follow the below-mentioned steps to apply for colleges offering merit-based admission.

Visit the college admission department office or official website to check the admission requirement.
Fill and submit the admission forms as per the direction and format/dimensions prescribed by the college/university.
The admission department of the respective college/university will process the forms.
College/University may invite selected candidates for a personal interview and group discussion rounds before offering them admission.
Finally, based on the overall performance in entrance exams and personal interviews, colleges offer admission to the selected candidates.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Eligibility Criteria

The Candidates applying for Diploma in Early Childhood Education must fulfill minimum eligibility criteria.

Candidates must have completed higher secondary (10+2) or equivalent exams from a recognized board.
Candidates must have scored a minimum of 50% marks in the qualifying exam.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Top Colleges

Institute Name	Average Fees
Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi	INR 2,400
Bombay Teachers' Training College, Mumbai	INR, 22,320
Jaipur National University, Jaipur	INR, 11,200
PK Roy Memorial College for Women, Dhanbad	INR, 2,000
Amity University, Noida	INR, 17, 250
Maharani Teacher Training College, Tiruppur	INR 40,000
Manav Bharti Nursery Teacher Training Institute, New Delhi	INR 30,000
Maharishi University of Management and Technology, Bilaspur	INR 51,000
Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai	INR 5,300
SIES Institute of Comprehensive Education	INR 50,000

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: College Comparison

Below given is a comparison between top colleges offering Diploma in Early Childhood courses in India.

Parameter	Bombay Teachers' Training College	Jaipur National University
Location	Mumbai	Jaipur
College Overview	BTTC is a premiere college of education. It was established in 1969 and aims to provide the best teachers to the country.	Jaipur National University is one of India’s leading universities for higher studies and was established in 2007.
Admission Process	10+2 score, Written Test and Interview	Merit Based & Entrance
Average Fee	INR 22,320	INR 11,200
Top Recruiting Organizations	Bombay International School, Cathedral and John Connon School, Aditya Birla World Academy, Gems International- Dubai	Jaro Education, BYJU’s, Hike Education, Decathlon, etc.
Average Salary Package	INR 4,50,000	INR 5,00,000

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Syllabus

The course curriculum of Diploma in Early Childhood Education includes classroom lectures and practical sessions. Practical sessions include projects, classroom, and community training programs. The course syllabus of the one-year diploma course is divided into two semesters.

Semester 1	Semester 2
Introduction to Child Care and Development	Nutrition and Health Care During Infancy and Early Childhood
The Child: Development in the First Twelve Months	Nutrition Related Disorders in Early Childhood
The Child: Development During Toddlerhood (13-36 months)	Common Childhood Illnesses, Their Prevention & Management-l
The Child: Development During Preschool Years (3-6 years)	Common Childhood Illnesses, Their Prevention & Management-2
Play Activities for Preschoolers-l	Services for Children
Play Activities for Preschoolers-2	Children with Special Needs-l
Organizing a Child Care Centre	Children with Special Needs-II
Introduction to Nutrition and Health	Communicating with Parents and the Community
Basic Concepts in Nutrition	Managing Children’s Programmes: Some Perspectives
Nutrition and Health Care During Pregnancy and Lactation	Project Work

Diploma in Early Childhood Education Course: Recommended Books

Below is a list of a few books recommended for candidates pursuing this course to enhance their knowledge in the field of young children teaching and care. These are really helpful books; however, candidates should look for the latest theoretical and practical resources to enhance their expertise and aptitude to excel in young children's development and teaching.

Book Title	Author
The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind	Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk	How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education	K. Eileen Allen and Glynnis E.Cowdery
Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education: Building a Foundation (3rd Edition)	Dr. Sue Bredekamp
Anti-Bias Education in the Early Childhood Classroom: Hand in Hand, Step by Step	Katie Kissinger
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education (8th Edition)	George S. Morrison

Diploma in Early Childhood Education Course Comparison

Candidates looking to work in child care and education have multiple options. Here’s a comparison between Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Diploma in Counselling and Guidance Course, which will help to make a choice between the two.

Course	Diploma in Early Childhood Education	Diploma in Counselling and Guidance
Course Type	Diploma	Diploma
Duration	1 year	1 year
Course Overview	This course studies knowledge and skills required to manage and understand the development of young children (child to age 6)	This course helps to develop understanding and competencies required to counsel aspirants, especially in their adolescence.
Eligibility	Intermediate	Intermediate
Admission Process	Merit and Entrance Exam	Merit and Entrance Exam
Job Opportunities	Primary Schools, Government Welfare Organizations, Anganwadis, NGOs	Hospitals, NGOs,
Job Roles	Pre-Primary Teacher, Child Care worker, Kindergarten Teacher, Family Day Care educator	Mental Health Worker, Child Psychologist, Counselor
Average Salary	INR 2,00,000	INR 3,00,000

Checkout: Top Colleges offering Diploma in Counselling and Guidance course in India

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Job Prospects

As the importance of elementary education has been rising up in the education field and proportionally the number of educational centers to facilitate the same. The Experts projects that the child care and education sector is estimated to grow at a rate of 14% in the next ten years, which is excellent compared to other fields.

Candidates who have completed a diploma in Early Childhood Education have a lot of opportunities in various government and private sector organizations working towards children's welfare and education. They can also start their own Preschool or child care center or work as home tutors.
Apart from a rewarding career, a diploma in early childhood education equips you to work in child care, which gives great personal satisfaction and is considered a noble profession and contributes to society's overall growth.

Here are the most common job profiles and the average median salary per annum that a diploma holder in Early Childhood Education can expect to earn.

Job Profile	Average Salary Per Annum
Pre-primary Teacher	INR 2,00,000
Family Day Care Coordinator	INR 1,50,000
Home Child Tutor	INR 3,00,000
Child Home Care Provider	INR 1,50,000
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher	INR 3,50,000
Center Director	INR, 5,00,000

The below graph shows average salary trends for most common job profiles after completion of Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE)

Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Future Scope

The diploma course is a foundation course for candidates looking to make a career in the child teaching sector. After completing the course, graduate students can specialize in either the Elementary Educational field or Secondary educational field.
After pursuing graduation, the candidates are eligible to appear for National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) certifications and begin their professional careers as teachers with an NCTE license.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education FAQs

Ques. What jobs can you get with an early childhood education diploma?

Ans. There are a lot of job options after completing a Diploma in Early Childhood Education like Childcare worker, Family day care educator, Center head for family daycare, Pre-primary school teacher, Child Care at NGO's, Specialized Education Teacher, Educational Leader and so on.

Ques. Is early childhood education a promising career?

Ans. Choosing a career in early childhood education means not just a lucrative career in government but also private organizations dealing with child education and welfare. It also means you contribute to society by helping young children learn the basics and become good human beings when they grow up as adults.

Ques. What is the average salary once I complete the diploma in early childhood education?

Ans. A diploma holder in early childhood education may expect to earn an average salary between INR 2,00,000 INR 5,00,000 depending on the city and organization.

Ques. How long does it take to complete a diploma in early childhood education?

Ans. Most of the relevant colleges and institutes in India provide diploma courses in early childhood education for one year. Please note that this usually comes under vocational courses, and the course's name may vary in different colleges/universities.

Ques. Is Child Psychology and Early Childhood Education the same?

Ans. No, although both the courses deal with child development, they focus on different aspects. Early childhood education prepares pre-primary teachers, daycare providers, and special needs teachers for young children. Child Psychology focuses on studying the child's behaviors and development at a young age.

Ques. Do I become a qualified teacher after completing the diploma in early childhood education?

Ans. No, this course makes you eligible to work in pre-primary and playschools. You do not become a qualified teacher under the National Education Council of India's rules. To become a qualified teacher, you need to complete relevant teaching. programs

Ques. Is a diploma in early education available via distance learning?

Ans. Yes, Indira Gandhi National Open University (School of Open Learning) offers a one-year diploma course. The course fee is INR 2,400. The program is called Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECE). Students get a full four years to complete the course.

Ques. I'm a commerce student. Am I able to do the early childhood course?

Ans. Yes, as long as you are 10+2, you may go for a diploma course in early childhood education. There is the compulsion of specific subjects. However, it would help if you have an interest in the area of child care and welfare. If you are passionate and want to work in the early childhood education sector, this diploma course can be an excellent option.

Ques. Is an early childhood education diploma expensive?

Ans. No, Average fees for a one-year diploma in early childhood education starts from INR 2,000 onwards. The fee may vary depending on the mode of education and the infrastructure provided by the college.

Ques. What is the scope of early childhood education in India?

Ans. As per the 2011 consensus, children in the age group 0 – 6 years comprise a total population of 158 million in the country. India's government approved the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy in 2013 that tells the importance and focus on childhood education. The sector will require childhood education experts, and hence the job prospects look promising in the coming years.

Ques. Who is responsible for Early Childhood Education in India?

Ans. Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) is responsible for implementing the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy across the country.