PANAJI
Complying with the National Education Policy 2020 guidelines, the Goa Education Department has issued a circular asking schools to accept admissions for Class I provided the child has completed six years from the 2025-26 academic year.
As per the provisions of the NEP 2020 and the RTE Act, 2009, all the States and Union Territories across the country have been directed to align their age of admission for Class I with the guidelines in a bid to provide admissions to this class in the age of six plus years.
In Goa, on the other hand, the age for admission to Class I continues to be governed under the provisions of Section 18 of the Goa Schools Education Act, 1984 and amended in 2000.
The Circular issued by Education Director Shailesh Zingde states that the Act however needs to be suitably amended to incorporate the change in admission age criterion envisaged in the NEP 2020.
In view of the unfolding scenario as envisaged in the NEP 2020, the Circular mentions that for Class I admission from the academic year 2025-26, a child must have completed six years of age as on or before June 1 of the academic year.
Consequently, the child to be admitted to the first year of nursery (preschool) from the coming academic year 2023-24 should be three years of age as on or before June 1, 2023 and subsequently in the academic years following.
“It is enjoined upon the heads of all categories of aided, unaided and government pre-schools and primary schools in the State to adhere to the above laid out provisions for admissions to first year of pre-schools in the coming academic year 2022-23 and for Class I with prospective effect from the year 2025-26 onwards. Until then, admission to Class I in the interim/intervening period up until June 1, 2025 shall continue to be governed by the provision of Section 18 of the Goa School Education Act, 1984 as amended,” it said.
