Karnataka implements 5-year rule for admission in class I

In a move to stop any student from appearing for the SSLC before completing 15 years of age, the Karnataka government has decided to restrict admission in standard I for those children who have not completed five years of age. For admission to Class 1 from the coming academic year, children will have to complete five years of age as on May 31.

Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, primary and secondary education minister, appeared firm on the stance of the government. Even if a child fails by a margin of a day, there would not be any admission, he asserted. This specific law would be enforced severely to evade complications in higher education and in seeking jobs, he said.
 
Kageri informed that a circular has already been issued to all government, aided, unaided and private schools to abide by the law. If the law is followed firmly, then any student who is not of 15 years of age will not appear for the SSLC, Kageri said. 
 
The current decision is the result of this year’s SSLC where more than 17,000 students passed out without completing 15 years of age. Kageri clarified that there is no decision taken to bar those who had already taken admission without the set age limit. Such students would be allowed to appear for the SSLC, as it will take us almost a decade’s time to completely sort out the issue, he said.  
 
So far, parents enjoyed the freedom to admit their wards in Class I when they are between five years to five years and 10 months. But from now on, precisely from the next academic year, birth certificates would be the ultimate criterion to prove whether the child has completed five years of age on May 31, Kageri said. 
 
Speaking about the merits of the present ruling, Kageri described how activity-based lessons would be good for children below 5 years of age rather than more intricate scientific based study of Class I standard.