Maharashtra: Govt Introduces New Age Criteria, Backed By Parents For Admissions

In a significant move to realign its educational practices with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Maharashtra government is working on revising the age criteria for school admissions. Effective from the 2024-25 academic year, children aspiring for nursery admissions must be a minimum of three years old, adjusting from the prior practice that permitted children who turned three by December to enrol, leading to admissions of two-and-a-half-year-old children.

The state government and the Women and Child Development Ministry are jointly crafting the new admission policy. Notably, the Early Childhood Association (ECA) has been vociferous in advocating for this change. According to TOI reports, Members of the ECA emphasised that Maharashtra remained an outlier in not adjusting its entry age, resulting in children commencing first grade at the age of five years. It claimed that such a delay could impede the developmental aspects crucial for early learners, including language acquisition and social skills.

The Free Press Journal spoke to parents to gauge their reactions to this development. 

Surabhi Nagar, a parent gearing up for her child's admission, emphasised the need to allow children to grow naturally without undue academic pressure.

"This should happen. Children under three are very young. Let their mental growth happen, and then include them in the curriculum. I think they should start at five years”, Nagar said.

Similarly, Vishakha Tiwari, mother to a two-year-old, also expressed her support. "Aligning school admissions with the NEP 2020 by setting a minimum age of three years ensures children's developmental readiness and potentially enhances learning outcomes", Tiwari said.

Echoing these sentiments, Dinesh Arya, whose son is four years old, lauded the plan while recounting his experience: "When my son was two and a half years old, I sought admission but realised he wasn't linguistically prepared. It became evident he needed more time."