The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Delhi Government seeking its response on a circular that sets a six-year age criterion for admission to Class 1. The circular, issued in June 2025, introduces a new pre-school structure and changes the admission process starting from the 2026-2027 academic session. A Public Interest Litigation challenges this policy, arguing it imposes an additional financial burden on parents and disrupts the progression of currently enrolled students. The petitioner contends that children already studying in kindergarten will be forced to repeat pre-school, and direct admissions to Class 1 will become difficult due to limited seats. The Division Bench, led by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyay, has scheduled the next hearing for November 26. The Delhi Government has requested time to file its reply.
Concerns Over Policy Impact and Financial Burden
The petitioner, Deepika Sharma, represented by Advocate Vaibhav Sharma, argues that the new policy mandates children to complete pre-school one, two, and three before Class 1 admission, replacing the earlier nursery and kindergarten system. This change forces currently enrolled students to repeat pre-school, creating confusion and financial strain. Parents will bear an additional year of fees, estimated at approximately 2.40 lakh annually in private schools. The plea suggests amending the circular to apply only to fresh admissions from 2026-2027, ensuring children already admitted in 2025 are not affected. It also proposes raising the nursery admission age from three to four years for smoother implementation.
Source: Link