Bhubaneswar: As per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, for the first time, Shishuvatika (pre-primary education) will be introduced in all primary schools across the state. On April 2, the Pravesh Utsav (School Admission Festival) and Khadichhuaan Utsav (ceremony for young children entering school) will be celebrated. On the same occasion, the Shishuvatika program will also be inaugurated.
To encourage enrollment in Shishuvatika and Class 1, the district administration is distributing invitation letters signed by the Chief Minister to the families of eligible children. On the first day, over 10,000 students’ parents across the state received these invitation letters. The Department of School & Mass Education has instructed all District Education Officers (DEOs), Block Education Officers (BEOs), and Head Teachers to ensure that all eligible families receive the invitation letters by March 28.
Clarification on Age Criteria for Admission
Meanwhile, following controversy regarding the age limit for admissions, the Department of School & Mass Education has issued an official clarification through ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). The department stated that after discussions with various educationists and experts, NEP 2020 has fixed the minimum age for Class 1 admission at six years or above to ensure the holistic academic development of students.
Accordingly, the Odisha government has decided to implement NEP from the 2025-26 academic year, setting the minimum age for Class 1 enrollment at six years or more. Additionally, to accommodate students, the deadline for fulfilling the six-year age requirement has been extended from March 31 to September 1.