Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 24: The state government, through an order, modified minimum age criteria for admission into the first standard, which is 5 years and 5 months. This order will be uniformly applicable to government, aided, and unaided schools and will come into force for the academic year 2018-19. At the same time, maximum age for admission to first standard has been kept at seven years.

Under secretary in the department of education, V Nagesh Rao, issued the above order, considering that minimum and maximum age of children seeking admission into Kendriya Vidyalaya has been determined at five and seven years respectively. The order was issued under rule 20 of Karnataka Education Act 1983 and section 12 (1) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

Under Right to Education Act, age at admission into LKG in unaided and minorities students had been fixed at four year ten months in place of three years ten months and for first standard, from five years ten months to six years ten months with effect from 2016-17. But commissioner of the department of public instruction, through a circular issued on January 18, 2017, had fixed minimum age for the children directly joining first standard as five years ten months.

The children, who had joined LKG in 2015-16 and 2016-17, had joined LKG without complying with minimum age requirement of three years ten months. Therefore, when they completed LKG and UKG, their admission into first standard was blocked for not complying with minimum age limit.