PUDUCHERRY: Confusion around the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) has puzzled parents who are looking at getting their kids admitted to kindergarten in Puducherry. The misunderstanding, according to Congress functionary Pradish Irudiyaraj, sprouted from Education Minister A Namassivayam's announcement that the Puducherry government will soon implement the Centre-backed NEP.
Puducherry mainly follows two streams of curriculum for private schools, namely CBSE and the state board of Tamil Nadu (Andhra Pradesh and Kerala Board in Yanam and Mahe regions), with the majority following the latter. Some schools run CBSE classes separately.
Under the state board, children who have completed three years of age by July 31 in an academic year are eligible to join LKG (Lower Kindergarten). The NEP, however, proposes that children should join LKG only on completion of four years of age.
As for the current academic year (2023 - 24), NEP has not been introduced by the Department of Education in Puducherry for the schools which follow the state board pattern or even CBSE. This is because Puducherry comes under the Tamil Nadu Education Board, which is yet to introduce the NEP. Because of this confusion, most parents are unclear about when to get their wards admitted to LKG. While some have put their children in LKG, others have been inquiring at schools.
Several confused parents have been approaching us regarding admissions, said John Jayanth, who runs a Kindergarten school. "Every day, we have to explain to them that the NEP is only an announcement. So the existing pattern of admission continues," he added.
An official of the education department has also clarified that there have been no directions to schools with regard to the NEP, though certain provisions have already been implemented. "The government is awaiting guidelines from the Union Ministry of Education on the implementation of NEP," said Namassivayam.