To,

The Commissioner for Public Instruction,

Department of School Education and Literacy,

Nrupathunga Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Respected Sir/Madam,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing as a concerned parent to respectfully request your consideration regarding the minimum age requirement for Class 1 admission for the academic year 2026–27.

As per the current guidelines, a child must complete 6 years of age by June 1, 2026. However, many parents, based on the earlier flexibility (5 years and 5 months), enrolled their children in the academic year 2022–23. Since then, these children have successfully completed their 4 years of pre-primary education (Playgroup, Nursery, LKG, and UKG).

Due to the current rule, these children are now required to repeat UKG, despite being academically and developmentally ready for Class 1. This may lead to unnecessary emotional stress and the loss of an academic year.

In this regard, I kindly request your consideration for granting relaxation of the minimum age to 5 years and 5 months for this batch, based on the following points:

Academic Continuity: Children have already completed their pre-primary education and are well-prepared for the next academic level. Repetition may hinder their progress and affect their morale.

Consistency with Previous Batches: A similar relaxation was granted for the academic year 2025–26. Not extending this to the current batch may create an unintended disparity among children who have followed the same academic path.

National Practices: While NEP 2020 recommends 6 years, several states have provided grace periods or buffer months to ensure smooth academic progression for children already enrolled.

In light of the above, I humbly request the Department to kindly issue a circular allowing similar relaxation for the academic year 2026–27. This will enable children who have completed UKG to progress to Class 1 without disruption.

I sincerely hope you will consider this request sympathetically and take necessary action in the best interest of the children.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

 

Yours sincerely,

Abha Sood, a concerned parent.