Kamal Ghorui
Bengaluru: Karnataka government Thursday relaxed the age criteria for admission to class 1 by 60 days for the academic year 2026-27.Till now, a child had to be six years old as on June 1 for admission to grade 1. For this year, a child who is 5 years 10 months old as of June 1 is eligible for admission. The new rule applies to all govt, aided and private schools across curriculum: state, CBSE, ICSE or international.The govt had issued an order on six years for admission in July 2022. It has not been implemented following protests from parents.This year too, parents approached the school education department against the rule. “Parents of children who have not completed six years of age are confused. Hence, a two-month waiver this year,” said Madhu Bangarappa, minister for school education and literacy, in the legislative assembly. The exemptions for 2026-27 are in accordance with Karnataka Education Act, 1983, he added.The minister added that the relaxation will be applicable to LKG and UKG admissions too. He said the govt is planning a separate policy for pre-KG as there is currently no regulation for these grades.The minister’s announcement evoked mixed responses from parents. While several parents welcomed the move, others wanted the relaxation extended to 90 days.Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka condemned the move. “The government has no commitment to national alignment. This will cause trouble for students who will shift states. This is not a question of NEP, but is mentioned in the Right to Education. The government has no respect for its own orders. They are willing to give relief to a few parents with influence,” said D Shashi Kumar, secretary of the association.
