Only a child who has attained six years of age will be admitted to class 1 from the year 2023-24 onwards. The education department has come up with a notification regarding the same. The government has decided to implement the rule from 2023-24 onwards so that students who are at present studying in nursery and kindergarten sections are not inconvenienced.

For the year 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23, children upto the age of five can be admitted to class 1. The notification states that a child should have completed six years in June to be eligible for class 1 admission from the year 2023-24.

It should be noted that under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, children between the age of 6 and 14 years have to be provided free and compulsory education. The Gujarat government’s decision to allow those younger than six years to class 1 was in conflict with the Act and it had raised concerns in several quarters.