26 Feb 2024  |   07:36am IST

Goa to seek relaxation from Centre on minimum age for admission to Class I

Centre has issued a notice to all States/UT to fix six years as minimum age for admission to Class I from the 2024-25 academic year, in line with NEP 2020 & Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009; DoE says if implemented this academic year, a few students may have to repeat classes which could prompt the parents to agitate

Team Herald

PANJIM: With the Centre issuing a notice to all States and Union Territories to fix six years as the minimum age for admission to Class I from the 2024-25 academic year, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, the Goa government has decided to write to the Union Education Ministry seeking relaxation stating that a few students may have to repeat the classes which could prompt the parents to agitate.

Speaking to O Heraldo, Director of Education Shailesh R S Zingde said, “If we start from this academic year, few students of KG one and two will have to repeat. So we will write to Centre to grant some relaxation. If we implement it from 2026-27 then there will be no issue, but if we implement before that, then few students may have to repeat. That is not a good thing as parents may agitate.”

He said, “In 2021, the Central government had asked us to make it three years from nursery, but later a relaxation of six months was granted. Again based upto the instructions of the Union Ministry, a notification was issued. But the notification was challenged in the High Court and the Court stuck it down.”

Zingde said, “From the last year, it is three years for nursery, four years for KG I, five years for KG II and from 2026-27, it would be six years for Class I. If we try to deviate from it this year or next year, a few students may have to repeat the classes and we are trying to avoid it. We will write to the ministry seeking relaxation. We have already provided a roadmap to the union ministry in this regard.”

Union Ministry of Education has asked all States and Union Territories to ensure that the students admitted to Class I are at least six years old from the 2024-25 academic year onwards.

“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. I request you to kindly look into the matter personally, to ensure compliance and share the implementation status of the same by 20.02.2024,” states the letter from the Union Ministry to all the States/UTs.

“This is as per the provisions in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009,” the letter states.