Finance
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 mandate that six years of age be the minimum age for admission to Class 1. The Center has sent notice to all states and Union Territories to this effect.
The Department of School Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Education (MoE) has sent letters to the administrations of the Union Territories and the state governments repeating directives that have been issued on multiple occasions since the NEP’s inception in 2020. The previous year, a similar notification was also given.
Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, in a letter dated 15.02.2024, with reference to D.O. letter No. 9-2/20- IS-3 dated 31.03.2021 followed by D.O. letter of even number dated 09.02.2023, requested all states/UTs to ensure that the age of admission to… pic.twitter.com/RoIrA9h9IC
— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) February 25, 2024
“The session 2024-25 is soon to begin when new admissions will take place. It is expected that the age in your State/UT has now been aligned to 6+ for admission to Grade-I, accordingly,” the ministry said in its letter dated February 15.
In March 2022, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha that 14 states and Union Territories — such as Assam, Gujarat, Puducherry, Telangana, Ladakh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Goa, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Kerala — allow Class 1 admission for children who have not completed six years.
In the past, the Centre has said not aligning the minimum age with the NEP stipulation affects the measurement of net enrolment ratios in different states.
As per NEP 2020’s 5+3+3+4 school system, the first five years comprise three years of preschool corresponding to the age groups of three to six years and two years of Classes 1 and 2 corresponding to the age group of six to eight years.
Source:IE
