PANAJI: The state directorate of education (DoE), which has begun implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), on Tuesday said a child would now necessarily have to be three years of age at the time of admission to the nursery level.
The criterion, which is part of the NEP, will be in force from the current academic year and will ensure that by the time the nursery batch of 2021-22 enters Class I, they will be six years old, which is another requirement under the new policy.
Presently, children in Goa are admitted to Class I if they have completed five-and-a-half years of age.
Many nursery schools, also known as playschools, admit students at two-and-a-half years or even earlier.
“It has been decided, in terms of the NEP 2020, to inform all heads of institutions having nursery classes that the age for admission of the child from academic year 2021-22 onwards for first year of nursery class shall be three years on or before May 31,” director of education D R Bhagat said in a circular to schools.
Independent playschools have mushroomed around the state over the past few years and often double up as creches, catering to families where both parents have to report to work.
With little monitoring of such independent playschools, some even admit infants.
Now, such facilities will no longer be able to double up as nursery schools.
“The age of entry at the nursery level will now be three years, which has been done to make it uniform across institutes.
As these children go to the higher classes, the entry age to Class I will automatically go up to six years,” said Bhagat.
As most schools carry out their admissions much before the academic year begins in June and many may have already admitted students to nursery for 2021-22, the director said schools will have to fall in line and adhere to the latest instructions.
“They have to follow this circular,” Bhagat said.
Under the NEP, the first five years of education will be known as the foundational stage.
This stage of education starts with the nursery year at age three and will include the present KG-1, KG-2, Class I and Class II.
After the foundational stage, the child will enter the preparatory stage of education in Class III.
Preparatory stage will end at Class V and will be followed by three years of middle school up to Class VIII.
Class IX to XII will be known as secondary schooling.