IIT Kharagpur starts the first research lab for preschool kids

March 21, 2023

Kharagpur, West Bengal. IIT Kharagpur paves the way for the future of how we’ll educate our youngest ones. India’s first lab school and early childhood research facility have been set up inside the college campus.

This project was initiated to ensure that the children of staff members at IIT Kharagpur have access to the best education available in the country. This demonstrates the institute’s commitment to excellence by ensuring it can attract the best talent from across the world, not just in terms of students but also faculty. Institute Director Prof Tewari remarked, “This school will provide children of our staff members access to 21st C education while also providing our students with an unparalleled opportunity to explore and innovate in the education sector. We hope our project becomes an inspiration for all institutes across our nation and a model for the world.”

To make this project come to life, IIT Kharagpur has partnered with Arth, a Reggio-inspired preschool in Kolkata. Ankur, a KGP alumnus and founder of arth, firmly believes that it is critical to engage the youth of this nation in educating its youngest members to truly allow all children to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life. This project is a crucial step forward in realizing this goal.

Research scholars from various departments are involved in documenting evidence for best practices to scale this model of progressive education. At the same time, the immense energy and potential of the student community inside the campus have ensured that curiosity inside these children is nurtured to its highest state.

Prof. Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur, reiterated the institute’s resolve towards nation-building on the occasion of the opening and said, “Excellence in action has always been our ethos and Arth lab @IIT KGP is another testament to that.”