Maharashtra relaxes minimum age cut-off for kindergarten to Class 1 admissions

PUNE: The Maharashtra education department has relaxed the minimum age criterion for admission to classes from the nursery to class 1 for the academic year 2022-23, officials said on Tuesday. As per the government resolution (GR) dated September 18, 2020, the cut-off date for the minimum age for school admission has been December 31.

Due to this cut-off date, children born in October, November and December faced issues while securing admission to schools. Considering this issue, the education department has changed the minimum age criteria for admission for the academic year 2022-23, a government circular stated on Monday. As per the new rule, children born between October 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, and completed the minimum age of three years as of December 31, 2022, can take admission to nursery.

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The children born between October 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018, and who have completed the minimum age of four years as of December 31, 2022, can take admission to junior KG (kindergarten). Similarly, children born between October 1, 2016, to December 31, 2017, and completed the minimum age of five years as of December 31, 2022, are eligible for senior KG admission, it said. For class 1 admission, the minimum age criterion is the completion of six years as of December 31, 2022. The children should have been born between October 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016.

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The circular also states that the age limit can be flexible for pre-primary admission. No school should deny admission to children by citing any age issue. The circular says no upper limit is decided for admissions and it can be kept flexible.

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