Current Affairs
Centre Directs States, UTs To Align Their Age Of Admission For Grade 1 To 6+ Years
Swarajya Staff
Feb 22, 2023, 04:33 PM | Updated 04:33 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
The Ministry of Education has issued a directive to all State and Union Territory (UT) governments to align their age of admission the national education policy, which recommends that children must be 6 years old or above when they begin their early primary education.
The National Education Policy 2020 recommends strengthening of learning of children at the ‘foundational stage’ as a national priority for the country, the Education Ministry said on Wednesday (22 February).
The foundational stage consists of five years of learning opportunities for all children (between 3 to 8 years) that includes three years of pre-school education and two years of early primary Grade-I and Grade-II.
The NEP 2020 promotes seamless learning and development of children from pre-school to Grade-II.
To achieve this, it is essential to ensure accessibility to three years of quality preschool education for all children studying in Anganwadis or government/government-aided, private, and NGO-run preschool centres, according to the ministry.
In addition, the availability of qualified teachers who are specially trained in age and developmentally appropriate curriculum and pedagogy is crucial to the foundational stage's success.
"To fulfill this vision, the Ministry of Education....has reiterated directions to all the State Governments and UT administrations to align their age to admission with the policy and provide admission to Grade-I at the age of 6+ years," the ministry said.
Further, to ensure that all children have access to quality pre-school education, the ministry has urged State and UT governments to iniagte the process to design and implement a two-year Diploma in Preschool Education (DPSE) course.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will be responsible for developing the curriculum, while District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) will oversee the course's implementation.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.