Delhi Schools To Admit Only 6-Plus Aged Children In Class 1 From 2026. Here's Why
Delhi School Admission Age: The Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi has announced a major shift in the school admission structure by aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Starting academic session 2026-27, children will be eligible for admission to Class 1 only after they complete six years of age. This move is aimed at restructuring the foundational stage of schooling across government, government-aided, and recognised private schools in the capital.
What Will Change?
As per the new framework, the foundational stage-spanning three years before Class 1-will be formalised as part of school education. The updated structure will follow these age criteria:
Nursery (Bal Vatika/ Preschool 1): 3+ years
Lower KG (Preschool 2): 4+ years
Upper KG (Preschool 3): 5+ years
Class 1: 6+ years
The DoE has clarified that the titles of pre-primary classes (Nursery, LKG, UKG) may be renamed in line with evolving practices.
What Schools and Parents Should Know
The circular mandates all schools under the DoE's jurisdiction to implement this revised structure starting 2026-27. While detailed implementation guidelines will follow, the policy shift is aimed at ensuring that students entering formal schooling are developmentally ready, as envisioned under the NEP 2020 and RTE Act, 2009.
Call for Suggestions
To make the process more inclusive, the DoE has invited feedback from all stakeholders-teachers, parents, students, school bodies, experts, and the public. Inputs can be shared at schoolbranchnep@gmail.com by July 10, 2025.
This new circular supersedes all previous orders related to age criteria and foundational stage structuring in Delhi schools.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
CBSE board exams twice a year: How to make the most of the two chances you get
In a significant move aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Central Board of Secondary Education ( CBSE ) has announced that students appearing for Class 10 board examinations will now have two opportunities in an academic year to take their final exams. Starting in 2025, this twice-a-year model aims to reduce exam-related stress and allow students a second chance to improve their scores without penalty. This change represents a major shift from the traditional 'one-shot' approach to a more flexible, student-centric system. But with this flexibility comes the need for smart planning, discipline, and strategy. Here's a comprehensive guide on how students can make the most of this opportunity and perform their best under the new system. Understanding the new format Under the revised model, CBSE will conduct two board exam sessions in a year, tentatively in March and July. Students can choose to appear in either one or both sessions. If a student appears in both, the better score out of the two will be considered final. This is not a supplementary or compartment system; both attempts are treated equally and are available to every student. This change brings CBSE in line with global practices, where students are often assessed more than once a year and given multiple chances to demonstrate their learning without being penalized for underperformance in one attempt. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy One, Get One Free, Up To 50% Discount, Expiring Soon Original Adidas Get Offer Undo Why this benefits students This new system is designed to ease the high-stakes pressure of board exams. Students no longer have to fear a single poor performance derailing their academic plans. They now have the freedom to try, reflect, and retry. This change allows students to: Improve scores in specific subjects Test their preparation early without fear Align their academic strategy with entrance exams like CUET, JEE, and NEET Develop a healthier relationship with learning and assessments For students who are unwell, anxious, or underprepared in the first session, this model provides a powerful safety net. Phase-wise preparation strategy To maximize this opportunity, students should break their academic year into two clear phases: Phase 1: Foundation and First Attempt (June to January) This phase should be focused on completing the syllabus thoroughly, understanding core concepts, and taking regular mock tests. Students should aim to take the first board exam attempt in March seriously, treating it as a primary shot at success. Phase 2: Revision and Second Attempt (February to June) If students are not satisfied with their first performance, they can use this second phase to revise key areas, work on weak subjects, and attempt the exam again in July with greater confidence and clarity. Deciding when and what to retake It's not necessary to reappear for all subjects in the second session. Students should be strategic and retake only those subjects where they feel they can significantly improve their score. For instance, if you're planning to pursue science or engineering, subjects like Physics and Mathematics become crucial and may be worth retaking if your initial scores are average. Students should analyze their first-session results carefully to determine which subjects will benefit most from a second attempt, and whether their overall percentage can be meaningfully boosted. Balancing board exams with entrance preparations For Class 12 students, this format adds flexibility but also demands smart scheduling. The first board exam attempt may overlap with preparations for national-level entrance tests like JEE, NEET, and CUET. Therefore, if students are satisfied with their first-session performance, they can shift focus entirely to entrance exams in the following months. Alternatively, if they plan to improve scores in the second session, time management will be key. Students may consider creating a blended study plan—one that combines CBSE revision with entrance exam strategies—especially for subjects that overlap like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Managing stress and expectations With the twice-a-year format, students are likely to feel less pressure to be 'perfect' on one specific day. However, it's essential to avoid over-relying on the second chance. The first attempt should still be approached with full commitment and preparation. Parents and teachers play an important role here. Instead of emphasizing score maximization alone, they should encourage consistency, concept clarity, and resilience. The focus must shift from just scoring to building long-term academic strength. The twice-a-year CBSE board exam model is not just a scheduling update—it's a paradigm shift in how student achievement is measured. With proper planning and awareness, students can use this flexibility to their advantage, without compromising on quality learning. The key lies in strategic preparation, timely decision-making, and maintaining mental balance. Instead of fearing exams, students can now embrace them as learning milestones, with not one but two chances to showcase their best selves. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Delhi schools told to form special cells for out-of-school children
NEW DELHI: In a major move to address the rising number of out-of-school children in Delhi, the city government has directed all schools under the Department of Education (DoE), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to establish Special Admission Cells (SACs). These dedicated cells will focus on enrolling children who have never been to school, including those with disabilities and those who dropped out due to socio-economic reasons. Education officials have described the initiative as a 'targeted rescue mission for education' aimed at reintegrating vulnerable students into the formal education system. The SACs will be responsible for not only admitting these children but also for ensuring they remain in school, track their attendance, and support their academic progress. Each SAC will be composed of the school's head, the admission in-charge, a vocational guidance counselor or an expert with similar skills, and the Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator (CRCC), who will provide data on out-of-school children (OoSC). The goal is to simplify admission procedures, counsel parents and children, and address any barriers preventing enrollment. 'The idea is to not just admit them, but to track their attendance, support their learning, and ensure they don't fall through the cracks again,' said a senior education department official. Key responsibilities of the SACs will include time-bound admissions, tracking academic performance and attendance, and ensuring the retention of enrolled children. The cells will also meet regularly to assess the progress of out-of-school children, update data with the UDISE Plus system, and identify and address dropout cases by providing targeted support to students and their families. Additionally, SACs will provide a bi-weekly report to the headquarters on the status of admissions, attendance, textbooks, uniforms, assessment, and plans for mainstreaming these children into the formal education system. Government estimates suggest that hundreds of children in Delhi remain outside the education system due to work, migration, or a lack of awareness about their educational rights.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
DU's new tie-breaker for undergraduate admissions: Tripping on reform
When Delhi University (DU) adopted the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for undergraduate admissions in 2022, it was seen as a long overdue step toward standardisation of a sprawling ecosystem. An improvement over the Central Universities Common Entrance Test introduced in 2010 for a handful of central universities, CUET promised to level the playing field by replacing the uneven Class XII cut-off system with a single, uniform test. It was an opportunity to move beyond the disparities of state boards, streamline admissions, and focus solely on merit. Though premised on fairness, some of the changes to the admission process this year — especially the addition of Class X scores as the penultimate tie-breaker, supplanting alphabetical order of candidates — tread a delicate line. In a country where access to higher education remains intensely competitive and deeply consequential, they risk reintroducing anxieties that CUET was designed to eliminate. With 71,624 seats across 79 undergraduate programmes in 69 colleges up for applications this academic year, the new tie-breaker has been designed to offer, as DU's dean of admissions has put it, a 'more rational and merit-based approach' to break CUET deadlocks. Class X performance is a reliable indicator of consistency, arguably less vulnerable to coaching-driven score inflation. It also reduces the arbitrariness of alphabetical tie-breakers, which, though neutral, fail to reward academic effort. However, it risks undermining CUET's foundational principle, rooted in the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for equity and inclusivity in higher education. In decoupling undergraduate admission from board variability, CUET sought to ensure that scores alone did not dictate a student's future. Reintroducing board scores from Class X opens up old vulnerabilities. State board curricula and grading systems continue to vary widely in difficulty and leniency. As a result, students from better-resourced boards or urban backgrounds may gain an unintended advantage. Moreover, NEP 2020 encourages holistic assessments over rigid reliance on any single score. Shifting the focus to grades — especially one from years prior — might be counterproductive for students who have matured academically in the years since or had faced personal setbacks at that stage. Instead of tying the admission process up with three separate academic records — CUET, Class XII, and Class X — a possible alternative could have been the option of more granular tie-breakers within CUET itself; its scores could have been extended to more decimal places or to domain-specific section scores. As India reimagines its higher education architecture, policymakers must be careful that efforts to fix procedural gaps do not reignite old apprehensions or come at the cost of inclusivity.
