Maharashtra will make six years the minimum age for admission to Class 1 from the 2030-31 academic year, with revised age criteria for nursery and kindergarten admissions to be introduced in phases from 2027-28.
According to a government resolution (GR) issued by the School Education Department, children must complete the prescribed minimum age by June 30 of the relevant year. The decision aims to bring uniformity to school admission rules across different education boards, an official said on Thursday, according to PTI.
The revised criteria will apply to new admissions, while students already enrolled in nursery to Class 1 during the 2026-27 academic year will remain exempt from the changes.
Maharashtra school admission age criteria from 2027-28
The state government will introduce the revised age requirements in stages over four academic years. The schedule covers nursery, Junior Kindergarten (KG), Senior KG and Class 1 admissions.
The age criteria will be as follows:
- 2027-28: Children must be at least three years old for admission to Nursery or Balvatika-1.
- 2028-29: The minimum age for Junior KG or Balvatika-2 will be four years.
- 2029-30: Children must be at least five years old for admission to Senior KG or Balvatika-3.
- 2030-31: The minimum age for admission to Class 1 will be six years.
The GR states that the prescribed age must be completed by June 30 of the relevant academic year.Why Maharashtra is revising school admission rules
The government said different age cut-off dates were being followed for Class 1 admissions in schools affiliated with the state board, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and the International Baccalaureate (IB).
There was also no uniform minimum age requirement for admission to pre-primary classes, according to the GR.
The state has aligned the revised criteria with the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and a communication from the Centre stating that children should be more than six years old for admission to Class 1.
Existing students exempt from revised age rules
The new criteria will not apply to students already enrolled in nursery to Class 1 during the 2026-27 academic year. Students who have passed the previous class from a recognised school will also be exempt from the revised age requirements when seeking admission to the next higher class.
The GR also allows school heads to grant a relaxation of 15 days in the minimum and maximum age limits for admissions from nursery to Class 1.
The Directorate of Primary Education in Pune will issue further instructions and guidelines for implementing the revised admission criteria, the government resolution said.
(with PTI inputs)
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