In a relief to thousands of parents, the Karnataka government has announced a one-time relaxation in the age eligibility criteria for Class 1 admissions in the 2025–26 academic year.
According to a revised directive issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, children who turn 5 years and 5 months by June 1, 2025, will be eligible to enroll in Class 1 in state board schools across Karnataka.
The change comes after strong representations from parents who had planned their children’s early education based on previous age norms. Many had enrolled their kids in nursery programs as early as May 2022, under the assumption that the existing 5.5-year age rule would continue.
Previously, the government had announced plans to enforce a minimum age of six years for Class 1 admission from the 2025–26 session, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 guidelines. However, in response to widespread concerns and transitional challenges faced by families, the state has chosen to temporarily ease the criteria for the upcoming academic year only.
Officials have confirmed that the six-year age rule will become mandatory starting from the 2026–27 session. This phased approach is aimed at ensuring that both schools and parents have adequate time to adapt to the new norms without disrupting children’s educational journeys.
In response to concerns raised by parents, the Karnataka government has granted a one-time relaxation of seven months in the minimum age requirement for Class 1 admissions for the 2025–26 academic year. However, beginning with the 2026–27 session, the government will strictly enforce the six-year minimum age rule for all Class 1 admissions in state board schools.
This decision is part of the state’s broader efforts to implement recommendations from the State Education Policy, which advocates for a developmentally appropriate age for starting formal education. School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa had previously stated that the revised age criterion is designed to bring Karnataka in line with national educational standards and to ensure that children are adequately prepared for structured academic learning.
Officials also clarified that this revised rule applies only to Karnataka state board schools and does not impact schools affiliated with CBSE, ICSE, or other boards, which follow their respective admission guidelines.
As the 2025–26 session will proceed under this temporary exemption, parents are advised to closely monitor official school notifications and verify that their children meet the relaxed eligibility criteria before submitting applications.
