The problem lies altogether with the incorrect understanding of the concept of pre-primary education. It is submitted that pre-primary education is in fact not a formal education as is commonly understood but is only a play way education. It is well known fact that the children are sent to play way schools as early as of two years of age and the same is gaining ground.
The PIL by Social Jurist had highlighted the fact that different
unaided recognized private schools in Delhi were applying different age
criteria for admission of children in nursery classes and sought
directions from the Hon’ble Delhi High Court against the Government to
ensure that all the Schools must follow uniform age criteria in
accordance with the provisions of Section 16 of Delhi School Education
Act, 1973 (DSEA, 1973) which provides that a child who has not attained
the age of five years, shall not be admitted to class I, in a
recognized school. It is a fact that though the DSEA, 1973 covers
pre-primary schools, but his fact alone, does not accord it the status
of ‘formal education’ but the pre-primary school has not been defined
nor the minimum age for admission therein has been expressly provided.
The Hon’ble High Court following the mandate of Section 16 of
DSEA, 1973, held that the children are eligible for admission to
Nursery, KG and Class I provided they complete three, four and five
years of age respectively, on 1st April, 2007. It is submitted that
there is nothing wrong either with the provisions of Section 16 of
DSEA, 1973 or with the Orders having been passed by the Hon’ble High
Court. It is submitted that Section 16 of DSEA, 1973 rightly assumes
Class I as the starting point of formal education and so rightly
prescribes the minimum age of not less than five years for admission
therein. Therefore, the correct minimum age of a child for admission in
formal schooling is not even four but above five years.
The problem lies altogether with the incorrect understanding of
the concept of pre-primary education. It is submitted that pre-primary
education is in fact not a formal education as is commonly understood
but is only a play way education. It is well known fact that the
children are sent to play way schools as early as of two years of age
and the same is gaining ground. The entire pre-primary education need
not to be looked as part of formal school education merely because the
same is imparted by the schools which also run Classes I and above.
The concept of pre-primary education has been deliberately
misapplied by most of the schools resulting in unwanted confusions and
misgivings. The Kothari Commission (1964-66) has gone into the detailed
discussion on pre-primary education. “The traditional practice has been
to divide the period of school education into three stages –
pre-primary, primary and secondary – and to discuss the problems of
each separately. This is based on several considerations. In the first
place, the three stages of education are regarded as corresponding to
the three stages in the development of child – infancy, childhood and
adolescence,” says, Kothari Commission Report. The objectives of
pre-primary education have also been detailed in the Report which
include – to develop in the child good health habits and to build up
basic skills necessary for personal adjustment, such as dressing,
toilet habits, eating, washing, cleaning and to develop in the child a
good physique muscular coordination and basic motor skills.
The Kothari Commission also noted, “Pre-primary schools were first
established to meet social needs such as looking after the children of
working mothers or providing a suitable environment to little boys and
girls from urban families whose small tenements or flats were hardly
appropriate for the children’s proper growth. These schools also
attempted to compensate for the unsatisfactory home environment of
children from slum areas or poor families. Recently, however, the
educational significance of this stage is being increasingly realized.
Modern researches have shown that the years between three and ten are
of the greatest importance in the child’s physical, emotional and
intellectual development. It has also been found that children who have
been to a pre-primary school show better progress at the primary stage
and help in reducing wastage and stagnation. The modern trend in
educational policy, therefore, is to emphasize pre-primary education,
especially for children with unsatisfactory home backgrounds. This is
the direction in which we also should move.”
The Kothari Commission further noted as a part of recommendations,
“ (4) Another important experiment of this type, which has been tried
with success in some parts of the country, is the establishment of
children’s play centres in close association with the primary schools.
These are conducted by a specially trained teacher in the primary
school, who is given an allowance for the purpose, or by a separate
teacher. The programme, which lasts for about two hours a day, is
simple and consists of group singing, story-telling and games, with
considerable attention being given to personal hygiene and health.
These centres serve as pre-school classes and to smoothen the
transition of the child from its play-dominated world of infancy to the
formal atmosphere of the primary school. They are comparatively less
costly to run and serve a very useful purpose in reducing wastage and
stagnation, particularly in Class I. Such centres should be attached to
as many primary schools as possible.”
The Delhi Government’s recent move to the Hon’ble High Court
seeking fixation of child’s age at 4 years for admission in nursery
class is based on incorrect premise that the pre-primary education is
formal education and the child is not mature enough to go to school.
The same government had earlier advocated before the Hon’ble High Court
for admission of two years and four months old child in nursery class.
It is submitted that the pre-primary education has not only been
recommended by the Kothari Commission but also find place in all the
National Policies on Education of 1968, 1986 and 1992. The Government
instead of taking pre-primary education as part of play way school
activities is, unfortunately, taking it as a part of formal school
education. If the contention of the government that 3 year child is not
mature enough to go to school is believed to be correct, all
mushrooming play way schools are required to be shut down.
The schools that are imparting pre-primary education in a formal
mode of education are required to be checked by the Government. The
National Advisory Committee on “LEARNIG WITHOUT BURDEN” headed by Prof.
Yashpal as back as in 1993 had recommended that “It should be ensured
that these institutions do not perpetuate violence on young children by
inflicting a heavy dose of ‘over-education’ in the formal teaching of
Reading, Writing and Numbers.” It is submitted that by looking at the
provisions of Delhi School Education Act, 1973, Reports of Kothari
Commission (1964-66) and Prof. Yashpal Committee (1993), it is quite
clear that pre-primary education cannot and should not be considered
and treated as a part of formal education, and therefore, the
controversies on the issue of minimum age for admission in nursery
classes is totally inappropriate.
