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The Ministry of Education has once again urged all the states and Union Territories to adopt six years as the minimum age for admission to Class 1. This step has been taken to keep the eligibility in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
As of now, there are 14 states and Union Territories that allow children below six years to join class 1. However, the Centre now wants all states and UTs to adopt 6 as the eligibility age, and help in correct reporting of enrollment of children in age-appropriate classes.
Is this, however, a good idea for children’s growth? Parents and teachers react.
The advice from the Centre is a good step, especially for the students of village schools. Usually, children in the village start their education later than those in big cities. Keeping that in mind, the decision to make class 1 eligibility as 6 years will help in the academic growth of village students, as it will give them enough time to complete pre-school years. Children who are born and brought up in cities start their educational journey a bit early so by the time they are six-years-old, they are physically and mentally developed to attend class 1.
Rather than working on the age, it would be better to suitably modify the curriculum in line with the age of the kid. Learning by DIY methods and fun activities will help kids to understand the concept easily. Merely extending the age of the kids for class 1 may not serve the desired purpose. Rather nowadays, children start attending school by age of 3 (2 years in advance). There were times earlier when kids used to go directly to class 1. The curriculum or course can be designed in a ballooning method, commensurate with the growing age of the kid.
The latest initiative by the Union Ministry of Education encourages children’s seamless learning and development by directing all states and union territories to set the minimum age for admission to class 1 at six years following the NEP 2020. It is a significant step to guarantee that all children studying in Anganwadis, government-aided, centres run by NGOs have access to three years of high-quality preschool education. This decision will help our country’s young minds have better psychological and mental health.
The foundational stage, according to the NEP 2020, consists of five years of learning opportunities for all children (aged 3 to 8 years) comprising three years of pre-school education, followed by classes 1 and 2. Accordingly, this policy will promote smooth learning and development of children from pre-school to class 2. This can only be done by ensuring accessibility to three years of quality pre-school education for all children. This will, thus, promote learning, development and growth in children.
Post Covid, many of our pre-schools were the ones who suffered the most in terms of growth and learning. So, bringing in six years as the minimum age for admission to class 1 will help bridge that gap too.
