New Delhi: The Delhi government’s Directorate of Education has announced a revised age limit for admissions to pre-primary classes-also known as Bal Vatika- in all government, private, and aided schools starting from the 2026–27 academic session. The decision, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aims to bring uniformity in the early childhood education system across the capital.

However, the announcement initially caused concern among parents, who feared their children might have to repeat a class or face difficulties during school transfers. Addressing these apprehensions, the Directorate of Education clarified that the new age criteria will not apply to students already enrolled in the system.

According to Director of Education Vedita Reddy, children studying in nursery (Bal Vatika 1) in 2025–26 will progress to kindergarten (Bal Vatika 2) in 2026–27, while those currently in KG will move to Class 1 as per the usual process. “No child will be required to repeat a class because of the new rule,” she said, adding that students transferring to another school will also not be affected by the change.

Under the NEP 2020 framework, children must complete three years of pre-primary education- Bal Vatika 1, 2, and 3 — before entering Grade 1. As per the new guidelines, the age for nursery or Bal Vatika 1 will be between three and four years, for lower KG or Bal Vatika 2 between four and five years, and for upper KG or Bal Vatika 3 between five and six years. Admission to Class 1 will require the child to be between six and seven years old.

The Directorate emphasized that the policy will be rolled out in a phased manner. In 2026–27, only nursery classes will follow the new 3–4 years age limit. Lower and upper KG will be introduced in the 2027–28 session, and the 6+ age requirement for Class 1 will come into full effect by 2028–29. Schools have been directed to clearly communicate the changes to parents and to prepare a phased class structure and promotion list accordingly.

To ensure flexibility, the government has also allowed a one-month relaxation in the age limit. This means that principals may admit children who are slightly younger or older than the prescribed range — for instance, those aged 2 years and 11 months or 4 years and 1 month at the time of nursery admission. Additionally, students transferring from recognized schools with a valid School Leaving Certificate (SLC) and marksheet will be exempt from the new age rule, ensuring a smooth transition for all continuing learners.

The revised policy marks a significant step in aligning Delhi’s school education system with the NEP 2020 framework, while ensuring that current students and parents face no disruption in the learning process.