Delhi Sets Six Plus Years Minimum Age For Class 1

Delhi Sets Six Plus Years Minimum Age For Class 1

Last Updated Oct - 25 - 2025, 06:12 PM | Source : Fela News | Visitors : 3

Delhi government mandates uniform age for Class 1 admissions from 2026-27 academic year.

The government in Delhi has announced a move that tries to bring some order into early childhood schooling from the academic session 2026-27, all schools under the Directorate of Education (DoE) will require children to be at least six years old for admission into Class 1. Currently, children enter Class 1 at younger ages depending on the school, but with this change the minimum-plus-age will be six years and up to seven years for Class 1. 

What this means: pre-primary education stages (Nursery, Lower KG, Upper KG) will also be redefined for example Nursery (Balvatika 1) age 3 to 4 years, Lower KG 4 to 5 years, Upper KG 5 to 6 years. The intention here is to align with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) which recommends age-appropriate progression and a stronger foundational stage before formal schooling begins.

Of course, such a change means many parents and schools will need to adjust children who would have gone into Class 1 at age 5 or just turned 6 might now wait longer, and schools will rearrange admissions and curriculum accordingly. Heads of schools are allowed a certain age relaxation of up to one month for admission under the new rule. 

In the end, the aim seems to be to ensure kids start first grade when they’re developmentally ready not just socially ready but emotionally and cognitively too. Whether this will lead to better learning outcomes remains to be seen, but it’s a step toward standardising early education in Delhi.

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