HC notice to Gujarat govt on pleas challenging age norm for Class 1 admission

The Gujarat High Court on Monday issued a notice to the state government on a batch of petitions challenging its notification setting the cut-off age for Class 1 admission at six years as on June 1 for the academic year 2023-24. The court of Justice Sangeeta Vishen issued the notice, returnable on April 24, to the state government as well as the education secretary and schools.

The notification under challenge was issued by the education department, requiring schools to admit students in Standard 1 for the academic year 2023-24 only if they complete 6 years of age as on June 1, 2023. The notification was issued on January 31, 2020, but came into force from the 2023-24 academic year. The decision has affected a large number of pupils, "and it would be illogical to ask them to waste their entire year for no fault on their part," stated one of the petitions which sought that the notification be declared as "unjust, improper, illegal and unconstitutional."

Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the school authorities and parents were not informed about the notice in 2020, and they learned about it now when schools refused to admit children in Grade 1 if they have not completed 6 years of age as on June 1 (of that year). "A total 54 petitions were filed by parents of Vadodara. The court issued a notice to the state government as well as the education secretary, district education officer and schools.

Three lakh kids of Gujarat are suffering as they are being asked to repeat or take a drop this year due to the age cut-off," their lawyer Hitesh Gupta said. As per the petitions, other states have different policies regarding admission to Standard 1 which are contrary to that of Gujarat. Admission rules for Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have kept the minimum age criteria for admission to Class 1 at five years.

The state's decision is in line with recommendations made under the National Education Policy, but the Centre is yet to implement the NEP throughout the country and it is only in Gujarat that such a decision regarding age has been taken, one of the pleas said.