Cabinet approves change in the age requirement for children in Year 1

Children turning 6 years old will not be declined enrolment to Year 1 in 2024 just because they are born after the 30th of June of the year of admission after the cabinet approved the change in the age requirement for children in Year 1.

Minister for Education Premila Kumar says Regulation 8 of the Education Regulations 1966 in particular establishment and registration of schools was amended by the cabinet to allow schools to admit children in Year 1 as long as the child turns 6 years old by 31st December in the year of admission.

She says prior to this amendment, a school could only admit a child who is 6 years on the 30th of June in the year of admission meaning that children who turn 6 years in the months between July and December were denied enrolment.

Kumar adds that the cabinet has also approved provisional enrolment for Year 1 students, meaning that parents who wish to send their children to Year 1 in 2024 can start applying for provisional admission from 1st March 2023.

She says provisional admission will close on the 1st of May, 2023 and parents will be notified of final admission before the 31st of July, 2023 for Year 1 students in 2024.

The Minister says this will allow the Ministry to better manage student enrolment in Year 1.

Kumar says the 12-month leap time will benefit the Ministry’s planning for Year 1 students and give the Ministry the time to work with the Heads of Schools.

She further says it will ensure that students are enrolled within their zones and will also provide the opportunity to negotiate with the parents to move students to avoid overcrowding in certain schools.

Kumar adds provisional admission will also assist the Ministry in establishing additional classrooms or appointing additional teachers to address the increase in student numbers in a particular zone.

She says with this amendment, the age eligible to enrol a child in preschool or kindergarten will also change with the child turning 5 years old by the 31st of December of the admission year.