The Himachal Pradesh High Court stated that students under six years old who have completed the pre-school educational curriculum will not be denied admission to Class 1 for the 2024-25 academic session.

On Wednesday, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Rajiv Shakdher and Justice Satyen Vaidya issued an order concerning a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Monika Sharma and several others in related matters.

The PIL argued that students who will be under six years old on September 30, 2024, but have already completed their pre-school curriculum, are being denied admission to Class 1. Additionally, the high court emphasized that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 should be implemented gradually.

In 2023, the state government established six years as the age criterion for admission to Class 1 in Himachal Pradesh, starting from the 2024-25 academic session. The Himachal government specified that a child must be six years old by March 31, 2024, to qualify for admission to Class 1, allowing a one-time relaxation of six months until September 30 for this purpose.

Advocates for the petitioner stated that any student below six years of age who has completed Upper Kindergarten Class (UKG) will be promoted to Class 1 in the current academic session. They noted that this decision would benefit approximately 50,000 students in both public and private schools in the state born between October 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.

They argued that forcing these children to repeat UKG would not only hinder their intellectual and psychological development but also impose a financial burden on parents, as education can be expensive.