Age criterion only for class one students next year

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Kageri said that the rule will come in from the next academic year for students who are admitted to Class I.

“From the next academic year (2010-2011), a child has to be a minimum of five years and 10 months old to be admitted to Class I. Therefore, they will naturally satisfy the criteria of being 16 by the time they are in SSLC,” he said.

He also clarified that students who are underage in some of the higher classes too will not be detained or prohibited from taking up the SSLC examinations.

There are around 17,000 SSLC students who do not satisfy the age-limit criteria this academic year alone but the minister clarified that the proposal will be implemented from 2010-2011 for students of Class I. He had also admitted during his announcement that the issue will persist till all the underage students, who have already been admitted pass out.