In Delhi’s classrooms, a quiet but defining shift is underway. Beginning in the academic year 2026-27, a lower kindergarten will be introduced in the schools, followed by upper KG in 2027–28, and finally in 2028–29, the children will enter Class I only at the age of six, marking the full implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s foundational stage framework.

The move, which effectively adds an extra preparatory year before formal schooling, is being hailed by educationists and school principals as a long-overdue reform aligning India’s system with global early childhood standards.

Global early childhood standards are guidelines developed by organisations like the OECD, WHO, and UNICEF for ensuring quality, accessibility, and equity in early learning for children up to age 8. It aims to foster a strong foundation for lifelong learning and well-being.

Yet, it has reignited debate over access, infrastructure, and the complexities in the education system faced by many poor families.

Meanwhile, many see it as a step toward easing academic pressure in early years and improving long-term learning outcomes. “The creation of an additional class before Class I and the mandatory age criteria for entering Class I will ultimately benefit students and parents,” said Ramanand Nand, director of the Centre of Policy Research and Governance, who helped frame the NEP and was a member of the committee on the teachers’ curriculum under NEP.

But not everyone is convinced. Critics, including advocate and activist Ashok Aggarwal and school management representatives, argue that the reform adds an unnecessary layer of schooling, delays employability, and places a new burden on already strained institutions.

As Delhi’s government-aided and private schools catering to CBSE or ICSE boards prepare for the transition to Balvatika I, II, and III, the city finds itself at the intersection of promise and practical challenge, testing whether this foundational shift can truly build stronger foundations for the next generation.

Experts divided in opinion

Nand said, “With NEP, the focus has been moved to the selection of teachers in the foundational stage. It is no longer about the additional class, but the changed learning methodologies and curriculum incorporating experiential learning.”

Stating that this will ultimately benefit the students, he said that now there will be no restrictions to complete the syllabus in one year. “Now the syllabus will be designed in a way that learning becomes slow in the initial stages, instead of being a burden on teachers and parents.”

Educationist Ameeta Mulla Wattal said, “The implementation of the age policy will help children in conceptual readiness, stronger attention span, better self-regulation and long-term academic progression. Globally the foundation years start at the age of 6; hence, there is an alignment across practices. This policy should be a marker of whether a child has sufficient social, emotional, motor, and language readiness.

She further said, “Meanwhile rural India will face equity issues. We need to ensure that underprivileged children or first-generation learners are not left behind because of age gaps or delays. The extra year should not translate into dropouts or lost motivation.”

Vividh Gupta, principal of Bal Bhavan Public School, Mayur Vihar, Phase II, said, “Adopting foundational stage classes in a phased approach ensures that schools are better prepared, the transition is smoother, and classroom conditions are more conducive for both teachers and learners. It is a long-awaited and progressive step.”

He added, “The key focus at the Balvatika I, II, and III stages is on foundational literacy and numeracy, which form the bedrock of all future learning. This will help children as they progress to higher classes, enabling them to develop a stronger conceptual understanding and greater confidence in learning.”

It will also help children engage socially and emotionally in a formal learning set-up, making early years more joyful, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate, he said. “It will allow teachers to focus on each child’s fundamental learning needs while nurturing curiosity and creativity. The real impact of this stage will be visible in Grade I and beyond—when children experience the complete foundational stage as envisioned under the NEP, 2020.”

Endorsing the decision, Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu School, said, “This NEP-2020-aligned reform ensures our youngest learners thrive through age-appropriate, play-based education, boosting cognitive, social, and emotional development without disrupting current students’ seamless progression.”

She added, “Parents will appreciate the transparent guidelines, reducing admission stress and fostering equitable opportunities. For schools, it streamlines operations and enhances pedagogical focus.”

Parents’ worry: Price of extra year

Many parents are anxious about the new age-policy reform, fearing it will raise schooling costs and delay their children’s entry into formal education. For low- and middle-income families, an added Balvatika year means extra expenses on uniforms, books, and fees. “We have to save more money for the education now, even when we pay enough for nursery and KG. Another year before Class I means additional cost, and private schools will definitely increase fees,” said Poonam Sharma, a parent from east Delhi.

Others, however, see value in the slower pace. “If my son gets more time to learn through games and settle emotionally, I do not mind the extra year,” said Rajesh Kumar, whose child studies in Dwarka. Yet, uncertainty remains over whether government schools are prepared for this extended foundational stage, he said.

A couple of government school principals including Aastha Sharma from Shalimar Bagh and Mahesh Kumar from Rana Pratap Bagh said that they haven’t got any notice so far. The principals are of the opinion that if an additional class has to be created, children in those classes needs to be adjusted as per the enrolment.

Meanwhile, Anita Rampal, professor and former dean of education at Delhi university and former chairperson of the NCERT’s primary textbook development committees, said, “I believe this is nothing new that has been introduced to our education system. This has always been there since the RTE Act came into force in 2010. The RTE Act talks about the children aged 6–14. This process has just been delayed.”

However, a city-based lawyer and education activist, Ashok Aggarwal of an NGO Social Jurist, questioned the Delhi government’s October 24 circular, calling it contrary to Section 16 of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973, and previous Delhi High Court rulings in Social Jurist PILs, which fixed the minimum age for Class I at five years. “Is it fine to give 15 years of schooling to a child? Isn’t it too much? We are unnecessarily delaying employment opportunities,” he said.

R C Jain, president of the Delhi State Public School Management Association, also criticised the move, arguing that the earlier system allowing admission to Class I at the age of five worked well. “This change won’t benefit children and will only create logistical issues for schools,” he said, adding that institutions may have to expand classrooms, hire additional teachers, and bear increased operational costs to accommodate the revised policy.

New criteria in a nutshell

Starting the academic session 2026–27, children in Delhi will begin Class I only after turning six years old, marking a major restructuring of the early education system across the capital. The Delhi government has announced that all government, government-aided, and recognised private schools under the Directorate of Education will now follow a uniform entry age of 6+ years for Class I.

The department issued a circular detailing how the transition will unfold in a phased manner. Veditha Reddy, director of education, issuing a circular on October 24, said, “The restructuring will bring Delhi’s education system in sync with national standards and provide children with the right cognitive and emotional readiness before formal schooling begins. The aim is to ensure that children enter Class I only when they are developmentally ready to grasp formal learning.”

With this move, Delhi joins several other states that have already adopted the NEP-aligned age structure, marking a significant step toward a more child-friendly education system across India, she added.

At present, Delhi schools admit children to nursery at 3+ years, KG at 4+, and Class I at 5+. However, under the revised framework, the foundational stage will consist of five years of early learning: three years of pre-school (nursery, lower KG, and upper KG) followed by Classes I and II.

School heads will have limited flexibility—they may grant an age relaxation of up to one month at both ends of the age limit for Nursery to Class I admissions.

To avoid confusion, the Department of Education clarified that the new criteria will not apply to students of the 2025–26 session. Children already enrolled in nursery, KG, or Class I during that year will move up as per the current age structure, ensuring no child is forced to repeat a grade.

Interestingly, the lower KG and upper KG classes will only be introduced in 2027–28, completing the new five-year foundational cycle. This means that for 2026–27, the entry-level admission will be open for children aged 4+ years as of March 31, 2026.

The circular also makes an important exception—students who transfer from other recognised schools with a valid school leaving certificate and mark sheet will not be bound by the age criteria, provided they are continuing to the next higher class.

There is uncertainty among the stakeholders who are divided in their opinion about the policy overhaul. Until the implementation of the final stage of the restructing in 2028-29, nobody would be able to answer the questions that are floating in the education circles of the city. One can only guess the aftereffects of these new plans.