Thiruvananthapuram: The school entry age is currently 5 years. However, this will be changed to 6 years from the 2026-27 academic year, said Education Minister V. Sivankutty. Scientific studies and other studies suggest that children are ready for formal education only after the age of 6. That is why all educationally developed countries are setting the formal education entry age at 6 years or above, the minister said.
According to the Right to Education Act, 2009, charging examination or capitation fees to children for admission to the first class is punishable. The minister said that it has been noticed that some schools are continuing this practice and action will be taken if a complaint is received.
The question papers are prepared and distributed with great secrecy. As soon as it was noticed that some mistakes had been made in this year’s question papers, an investigation was ordered. Further steps will be taken after conducting an internal investigation and understanding where the lapse occurred. The minister also informed that steps will be taken to maintain the credibility and secrecy of the public examination.
As part of the Comprehensive Quality Education Project, examination reforms will be implemented from class 1 to 12. Continuous evaluation, preparation of question papers, evaluation of papers, training for teachers in preparing question papers, and preparation of question banks will also be implemented this year itself. The model of revised question papers will also be prepared and published by SCERT, the minister said.
