Parents took to the streets of Vadodara in Gujarat to protest after the government decided to cap admission at the age of six years as of June 1, 2023 for children to get enrolled in Class 1 in schools. The protest was held on Sunday and parents claimed that due to such a rule, many children, who are a few months or even days away from turning six, will have to study in senior KG thus wasting a year.
The protesting parents claimed that three lakh children of the state will be deprived of admissions to Class 1 and their one year would be wasted. Parents formed a human chain to protest at the Sayaji Bagh in the city. Students too participated in the protests wearing black bands on their faces and carrying posters and banners that read ‘Save our One year’.
The parents demanded relaxation in age by a few months so that their wards don’t miss out on a year. “We have gathered here with our demand of relaxation in the age of children so that their one year is not wasted. If the government can listen to all other people, why doesn’t it listen to our demands?” said Ripu, a parent who participated in the protest.
“Nearly three lakh students of Gujarat are being affected due to this policy of the government and are being forced to repeat senior KG. The policy was brought by the government just before the Covid-19 set in. Hence, the policy could not be implemented and our kids were admitted according to the old policy. Now the government is trying to implement this policy. Hence, the schools are asking the parents to repeat their kids in Senior KG,” said another parent. We are demanding a relaxation of only six months from the government. The future of three lakh students of the state can be saved with this relaxation,” he added.
However, state Education Minister Kuber Dindoor has already made it clear that the age of admission to class 1 has been made one year and will remain so.
