Gujarat govt revises age criteria for Class 1 RTE intake

Ahmedabad: The state govt on Wednesday set six years as the minimum age requirement for children seeking admission to Class 1, while allowing a four-year relaxation for children with special needs.
The change was made through an amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2012, under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The new amendment, published in the official gazette, states that a child must have completed six years of age as of June 1 of the academic year in which admission is sought. Children born on June 1 will also be considered eligible.
The relaxation for children with special needs aims to offer them more flexibility in accessing early education based on their individual circumstances and developmental readiness.
The notification further clarifies that with this change in the age criteria for admission to the Class 1, a corresponding and progressive change in the age criteria for higher classes will be implemented in the coming years to maintain academic continuity.
An explanation has also been added to define children with special needs (CwSN) in accordance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, where CwSN refers to persons with disabilities as described in Section 2 (s) of the Act.

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