Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Kerala is preparing for a one-year transition to raise the minimum age for Class 1 admission to 6 years in schools.

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has submitted a report to the General Education Secretary recommending that school admission be made mandatory for six years from the 2027-28 academic year, to align the state’s school entry system with the national education framework.

Implementing the reform would mean keeping around one lakh five-year-old children out of Class 1 for one year. It has been recommended that pre-school services be arranged for them.

SCERT has also suggested awareness programmes to help parents deal with difficulties arising from the shift from the traditional practice of admitting younger children to Class 1. The Right to Education Act, 2009, guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged six to 14 years. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also recommends making six years the minimum age for Class 1 admission.

Most states in the country have already implemented this change. Though the Central government has repeatedly written to Kerala, the state has not yet implemented it. Delhi and Karnataka are yet to fully enforce it, but steps toward the transition have already begun there.

More than 85 per cent of a child’s brain development takes place before the age of six. SCERT believes this crucial phase should be used to develop social and emotional skills rather than formal learning, such as early literacy instruction. Officials told Mathrubhumi that the change would help align Kerala’s education system with global standards.

Challenges

  • If six years is made mandatory, around one lakh five-year-old children will not be admitted to Class 1 for one year. An additional year of pre-primary facilities will have to be arranged for them.
  • A one-year freeze on the admission of five-year-olds will affect teacher posts. The government may need to protect jobs under threat or carry out temporary redeployment.
  • A one-year pause in admissions could create short-term challenges in funding and allocation of school-level resources.