Entry Age criterion for Class 1 - Pros & Cons

The National Education Policy (NEP) has issued guidelines, which focus on improving foundational learning for each child in India. One of the big changes it brought forward has been the minimum age for class 1 admission. It’s now revised to 6 years, compared to 5 years earlier. This change in the minimum age for class 1 has led to anxiety, confusion, and some cheer among parents of children who are going to be in the age group of 5 to 6 years when the academic session begins. As of now, 21 states in India have agreed to the NEP age limit for Class 1, with 14 of them deciding to implement it for the upcoming academic year in 2024. I have covered a detailed understanding and my own perspective in this blog with a dive into the Pros and Cons for a child. This blog may just help you make an informed decision for your child. 

What is the NEP guideline

According to National Education Policy 2020, children 6 years and older can take admission into Class 1. 

Why is NEP mandating this

Three big reasons why this makes sense 

1. Developmental readiness (cognitive & social developmental milestones) to be in a structured teaching-learning setup of a formal school 

2. Kindergartens/preschools focus on play and learn, inquiry-based, unstructured, exploratory, and experiential learning as the key to early learning years, benefiting more and more children. Through this approach, children undergo a deeper, more mindful, deliberate, and slower process of building foundational life capacities.

3. Improved learning outcomes because of Developmental readiness 

How many states are following it 

21 States & Union territories, including 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.

What about the states who are not following it 

The states will have to follow the policy in toto, if not in this year then the next. 

What are schools doing in the states which are following the NEP Age for Class 1  

For Schools that are following the guidelines, it’s simple. The admission age criterion for grade 1 is 6 years, and that for KG is 5 years. But it’s not all that simple. How do you tackle the situation with a class with children who were 4 years a year before and have already done KG. What do you do? Do you now send them to grade 1? Do you repeat the same grade again? 

Well, different schools are tackling this differently. Dhirubhai Ambani International School for example has taken an approach as below. 

They are creating a bridge year to normalize adherence to 6 years in grade 1. 

What it means for your child, if s/he was in LKG last year, and less than 6 years of age, then s/he will repeat the same class and then join grade 1 next year. And this is a major cause of worry for a parent of a LKG child who’s not going to turn 6 for the next academic cycle. 

Is repeating a class good or bad

Remember, when a child learns to speak, or crawl, the child repeats those actions many times, again and again before the child moves to the next level with visible comfort and confidence. Repetition is natural for the child, especially from a point of view of building a strong foundational strength and comfort. 

Repetition doesn’t have to be reading the same story again and again or doing exactly the same thing again and again, well unless the child didn’t follow it the first few times. Then it’s a good idea to repeat with personalized guidance, and is important to get mastery, thereby confidence for the child. There’s nothing like self-belief and confidence early on in a child. 

Now, look at it a little differently. Repetition in the routine, in the way a concept is introduced through different resource material, or how the same concept is introduced differently by a new teaching style or a new learning style or by a different teacher in their own style can build ease, comfort, and dexterity in the child. The Child finds comfort, not necessarily meaning in a comfortable space, but more so from a point of view of being in a secure, predictable, and safe space, where the child can explore, play, learn, inquire, and share with ease. That I say, is just an amazing space for a child to be and to thrive. 

There is no right or wrong answer though. It has PROS and CONS depending on the grade, age, academic performance, social & emotional development of your child, and a few other factors. 

Here’s a low down on the Pros and Cons of repeating a class in the early years. 

How are some of the States taking this forward differently

Haryana had announced the minimum age for Class 1 admission as 6 years in January. But recently, Haryana’s Education Minister, Kanwal Pal Gujjar took notice of Parents’ concerns and made a slight tweak. Haryana has relaxed the minimum age criterion by 6 months, to 5 years and 6 months instead of 6 years for this academic cycle. 

I quote Doctor Maria Montessori, “Repetition is the secret of perfection”.  

I share my humble perspective here, “Repetition without imagination will not lay a strong foundation.”

In my opinion, NEP needs to lay out a thought-through ‘Bridge program’ for Schools. It should consider the following factors in implementation: 

1. The Bridge Program could have built-in difficulty levels. For a child who’s struggling with a certain skill can be introduced to it again in the same as well as new teaching and learning styles. Definitely with more resource material. At the same time, it could have a higher difficulty level for a child who’s shown reasonable ease with the concept. It could mean running 2 sections, which is again possible even in most of the private schools. These schools have multiple sections for the same class, like KG A, KG B, and so on. Now, imagine the Bridge year could have KG A and KG B based on difficulty levels. 

2. Don’t just repeat, add Variation and analysis. For a child who’s on the older side in their class, and at ease with the required academic, emotional, and social milestones, repetition without imagination, analysis, and variation would be a punishment. 

3. Reduce the age gap between the youngest and the oldest in the class. The age criterion needs to be implemented in such a manner, where the difference between the oldest and the youngest in the class should not be more than 12 months. The only exception to this is a prodigy, which I completely support. 

4. Spread implementation into 2 years instead of 1. In this light, I appreciate how Haryana has spread its implementation into 2 years instead of 1. 

I know of a few friends and colleagues who have willfully repeated an early years’ class for their child to build a strong foundation. They did a few things very well. They started playschool as early as 18-22 months, and they repeated either Nursery or KG at a different school or section for their child. Moreover, they curated a learning environment for their child at home, where the child could explore, inquire, learn, and interact with ease and comfort. They became a key part of making learning coincidental and empowered the practice of reflection in their child early on. Choose what you think is right, as you are the best one to know what is right for your child. I love and respect each of you who’s raising, teaching, and caring for a Child. You are our biggest inspiration at parentune to make things better for each parent and child every day. Feel free to ask your questions in the comments, share your own perspective, or reach out to our Experts for consultation anytime.