Class I admissions in Delhi after 3 foundation yrs: DoE

A uniform age of six years and above for admissions to Class 1 has been mandated from the 2026-27 academic session, according to the Directorate of Education (DoE), Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi.

- Aheli Das

This effectively involves restructuring the foundational stage, to align with the National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020, according to a circular dated October 24 issued by the DoE.

The reform increases the number of classes in the foundational stage—classes before Class 1—from two to three, from the 2027-28 academic session. In the current structure, the foundational stage involves nursery and kindergarten (KG) classes, with age criteria of 3+ and 4+ years, respectively.

Following the implementation of the new foundational structure, the KG classes will be split into lower KG and upper KG, according to the DoE, effectively increasing the number of classes.

“The nomenclature for the Foundational Classes, along with the minimum age criteria for admission to Nursery to Class I, shall be implemented in alignment with the restructured Foundational Stage, as envisaged in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,” the circular read.