education

Updated: Oct 21, 2016 23:34 IST

Soon, children may get the opportunity to join government schools from the nursery level – and not from Class 1.

A committee on bringing pre-schooling and secondary education under the Right to Education (RTE) Act is in the process of finalising its report. There are indications that it might recommend starting government schools to form nursery classes rather than Class 1, sources said.

Currently, RTE is applicable from Class 1 and 8, under which students are provided free education in government schools and midday meal.

The government is also learnt to be in favour of this. If a decision is taken to start education form nursery and kindergarten in government schools, it might also have a bearing on private schools that currently reserve 25% for students from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category as RTE is applicable from class 1.

The issue will be taken up in the meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), which is the highest advisory body for the Centre and state governments on education.

“I have taken a few meetings and we have discussed the pros and cons of extending RTE to pre-school and secondary education. There are a number of implications and the issue will be taken up in the CABE meeting,” said Mahendra Nath Pandey, MoS, HRD (higher education).

A committee of CABE on Extension of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 to Pre-School Education and Secondary Education has held a meeting recently and is likely to submit a report in the coming days.