THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government intends to make six years the minimum age of admission to Class I in state schools from 2026-27 academic year, General Education Minister V Sivankutty said in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
Already, over 52% students admitted in state schools are aged six years and above, the minister said. A policy decision on making six years the minimum age for admission will be taken by the government soon.
According to Sivankutty, a time frame of one year has been provided for its implementation to enable parents and children to be prepared for the shift.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 had mandated admission to Class I at the age of six years and the Union government had been repeatedly urging states to follow the norm.
The state had deferred the implementation owing to the concern that there would be no admission to Class I if it is implemented at one go in a particular academic year.
Meanwhile, CBSE schools have been giving admission to children in Class I at the age of five. However, the parents were required to give an undertaking that the school or management would not be responsible for loss of a year if the age criteria of six years is strictly implemented during the course of the child’s education.