Minimum age for class one admission raised to age six; action against schools violating norms: Minister Sivankutty

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: According to the Right to Education Act, 2009, conducting admission examinations for enrolling students in grade one or charging capitation fees is punishable, said Education Minister V. Sivankutty. These matters are explained in Section 13 (1) A and B of the Education Act. However, the minister said that it has been noticed that some schools are continuing such actions and warned that action will be taken against the institutions if a complaint is received.

Minister’s words:

The minimum age for first class admission will be increased to six years. The school entry age for formal education in Kerala is currently five years. However, scientific studies and such suggest that children are ready for formal education only after the age of six. That is why all developed countries have set the minimum age for beginning formal education at six years or above.

People of Kerala have been admitting their children to first class at the age of five for the past many years. However, a large number of children are also being only admitted to school at the age of six. Currently, more than 50 percent of children enter school after the age of six. This should be encouraged. The minimum age of entry into class one should be changed to six from the academic year 2026-27.

Suggestion to proceed with an investigation has been given to the authorities about the mistakes that happened in the exam question paper. Further action will be taken after the internal investigation is over which would reveal where the lapse happened. Examination reforms will be implemented from class I to XII as part of the Comprehensive Quality Education Program.

Continuous evaluation, preparation of question papers, evaluation of papers, training for teachers in preparing question papers, and preparation of question banks will also be implemented this year itself. Detailed guidelines for these will be published in April. The model of revised question papers will also be prepared and published by SCERT.