The states have also been advised to initiate the process of designing and running a two-year Diploma in Pre-school Education (DPSE) course.

The Department of School Education & Literacy under the Ministry of Education has reiterated directions to state governments and Union Territories (UTs) to set 6+ as the age for admission to grade 1, in line with the National Education Policy 2020.

NEP 2020 recommends strengthening the learning of children at the ‘foundational stage’ as a national priority. The foundational stage consists of five years of learning for all children aged 3 to 8 – three years of pre-school education and two years of early primary grade 1 and grade 2.

“The policy thus promotes seamless learning and development of children from pre-school to grade 2. This can only be done by ensuring accessibility to three years of quality pre-school education for all children studying in anganwadis or government/ government-aided, private and non-government organisation-run (NGO) pre-school centres,” the ministry said in a statement on February 22.

Besides, the most important factor at the foundational stage is the availability of qualified teachers who are specially trained in the age and developmentally appropriate curriculum and pedagogy, the ministry said.

The states have also been advised to initiate the process of designing and running a two-year Diploma in Pre-school Education (DPSE) course. The course is expected to be designed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and run/implemented through the District Institute of Education and Training.