Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Twenty-one states have started admitting students at the age of six years in Class I, as directed by the Centre. Southern states such as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu are yet to comply with this decision despite repeated reminders, official sources said.
Karnataka and Haryana have confirmed that they will follow the age criteria from next academic year, sources said. Though Department of School Education and Literacy, under the Education Ministry, has directed all states and Union territories (UT) “to align their age to admission with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and provide admission to Grade-I at the age of 6+ years,” many are yet to follow the guidelines.
Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are the other states that are yet to follow the Centre’s directions, government sources said.
States and UTs that are following the Centre’s directions are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal.
The Central government’s directions align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends strengthening children’s learning at the ‘foundational stage’. The NEP is likely to come into effect from the next academic year
The foundational stage consists of five years of learning opportunities for all children (between three to eight years) which includes three years of preschool education and two years of early primary Grade-I and Grade II. In its letter on February 9, the Union Education Ministry “reiterated” and directed all states and UTs to “align” their age for admission to Class I at six years in line with the NEP 2020.
The reminder from the ministry came after many states continued with the old practice of admitting students as early as five years. The Ministry had issued a reminder in 2021 and 2022 also. Kendriya Vidyalaya schools, which come under the Central government, have already changed their policy and made the minimum age six instead of five years.
IITs should have zero tolerance for discrimination: education minister The Ministry of Education wants the IITs to prepare a long-term vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat for Amritkal, even as the premier institution’s Council, which met after two years, discussed pressing issues like students’ mental health and giving more exit options. The Council met in Bhubaneswar, which was its first physical interaction since the Covid outbreak. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told the Council that it should prepare a short-term strategy for the country’s immediate needs. In the wake of a spate of suicide cases, the director of IIT Gandhinagar presented the underlying societal, psychological and other health issues behind depression among students, said a statement released after the meeting.
NEW DELHI: Twenty-one states have started admitting students at the age of six years in Class I, as directed by the Centre. Southern states such as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu are yet to comply with this decision despite repeated reminders, official sources said.
Karnataka and Haryana have confirmed that they will follow the age criteria from next academic year, sources said. Though Department of School Education and Literacy, under the Education Ministry, has directed all states and Union territories (UT) “to align their age to admission with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and provide admission to Grade-I at the age of 6+ years,” many are yet to follow the guidelines.
Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are the other states that are yet to follow the Centre’s directions, government sources said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
States and UTs that are following the Centre’s directions are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal.
The Central government’s directions align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends strengthening children’s learning at the ‘foundational stage’. The NEP is likely to come into effect from the next academic year
The foundational stage consists of five years of learning opportunities for all children (between three to eight years) which includes three years of preschool education and two years of early primary Grade-I and Grade II. In its letter on February 9, the Union Education Ministry “reiterated” and directed all states and UTs to “align” their age for admission to Class I at six years in line with the NEP 2020.
The reminder from the ministry came after many states continued with the old practice of admitting students as early as five years. The Ministry had issued a reminder in 2021 and 2022 also. Kendriya Vidyalaya schools, which come under the Central government, have already changed their policy and
made the minimum age six instead of five years.
IITs should have zero tolerance for discrimination: education minister
The Ministry of Education wants the IITs to prepare a long-term vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat for Amritkal, even as the premier institution’s Council, which met after two years, discussed pressing issues like students’ mental health and giving more exit options. The Council met in Bhubaneswar, which was its first physical interaction since the Covid outbreak. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told the Council that it should prepare a short-term strategy for the country’s immediate needs. In the wake of a spate of suicide cases, the director of IIT Gandhinagar presented the underlying societal, psychological and other health issues behind depression among students, said a statement released after the meeting.
