Education Ministry has stated today that due to the alterations brought to the age criteria for student enrollment with the changes to the new school year, some younger students who were enrolled into older preschool grades may be held back a year.
Education Ministry has stated today that with the changes brought to the age criteria for academic graduation from one grade to the other, children repeating their current preschool grades will be students who were admitted into the school earlier than the determined age and that no other students will be repeated.
With the changes to the new academic year implemented by this government, the current school year of 2023 is determined to end this April and the new academic year of 2024 will commence in May 26.
Parents have expressed concerns that some pre-school children are repeating the same year as a result of the adjustments to the age criteria for enrollment with these changes.
“Have to change from LKG to UKG this year. But have to study in UKG again now. Losing another year again,” said a concerned parent.
A parent of a nursery student has also expressed discontentment towards the repetition of students in the same nursery grade during the upcoming academic year.
“Changes like this chip away a part of some students’ years. Other children can enroll earlier than their ages. My child has to waste away another year,” the parent said.
Furthermore, a parent of a local island student shared that the number of children graduating to LKG for the next academic school year is two. She stated that all the remaining students are repeated in their nursery grades in the new school year.
“Formerly, there were 12 students who had to study LKG. Due to changes to age groups, now there are two. Children who haven’t yet turned 4 by March31 can't graduate to the next grade. Hence, the remaining 10 were repeated,” said the parent.
Addressing this issue, an official of the Education Ministry shared with Mihaaru that no student currently studying in preschools will be held back.
“However, if there are students enrolled into preschool at a very young age in violation of the Ministry’s general principals, there is a probability of such a student repeating their grades,” he clarified.
The circular distributed to each school by the Education Ministry last month stated that no students must repeat the same year they are currently studying. Additionally, it also appealed to the parents to submit a request to the Ministry through the school if they desire to repeat their child in the same year due to a justifiable reason or a special circumstance.
The circular also stipulated that under such a situation, the student will be repeated only after the Ministry’s written approval following their analysis of the submitted documents.
“Parents from this island has written letters because students cannot graduate from LKG. However, the Ministry had declared that if the child is not 4 years old, the student cannot graduate even with the parent’s request,” a parent who had spoken earlier added.
- Baby Nursery: Under three years of age, reached two years of age by December 31, 2023
- Nursery: Under four years of age, reached three years of age by December 31, 2023
- LKG: Under five years of age, reached four years pf age by December 31, 2023
- UKG: Under six year of age, reached five years of age by December 31, 2023
All student who completed LKG in the academic year of 2023-2024 will graduate to UKG in the new academic year of 2024 (starting May 26, 2024)
- Grade 1: Under seven year of age, completed six years by December 31, 2023
All students who completed UKG in the academic year of 2023-2024 will graduate to Grade 1 in the new academic year of 2024 (Starting May 26, 2024)
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