Bengaluru: Parents of children who did not meet the class 1 age cut-off criteria held a demonstration Monday, requesting the govt to give a 90-day relaxation.In July 2022, the govt issued an order mandating that children be a minimum of six years old to get admission to class 1 as of June 1. However, following protests from parents of children who were already in the system and admitted to LKG and UKG, the govt deferred the order and said the same would be implemented from 2025-26. Last year again, the govt gave an exemption following parents’ requests. This year, parents are seeking exemption for a 90-day relaxation (3-month grace period). They pointed out that the proposed State Education Policy (SEP) committee recommended this 90-day break. “As per rules, my child is short by just 15 days. He finished his UKG and is ready for class 1. But the school is asking me to make him repeat UKG. This is not just about losing a year, it is about mental stress on my child, who sees his friends going to a higher class while he stays behind,” said Shanaz, a parent who attended the press conference Monday. — Syeda Tatheer Hussain
