New Delhi: The Central government has directed all states and UTs to provide admission to Grade I at the age of 6+ years.
In a letter, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, reiterated to all state government and UT administrations to align age of admission to Grade I with the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage(NCF-FS), which was launched in october 2022, under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
States and UTs have also been advised to initiate the process of designing and running a two-year Diploma in Preschool Education (DPSE) course. The course is likely to be designed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and implemented through District Institute of Education & Training (DIETs) under supervision of SCERTs.
The changes are in line with NEP 2020 which recommends strengthening of learning of children at the ‘foundational stage’ as a national priority. The foundational stage consists of 5 years of learning opportunities for all children from 3 to 8 years, that includes 3 years of pre-school education and 2 years of early primary Grade I and Grade II.