Karnataka School Age Rule: Parents Seek Wider Relaxation For Class 1 Admissions

Last Updated:March 31, 2026, 1:13 pm IST

The Karnataka government has eased the age rule for Class 1 school admissions by 60 days but parents still seek return to 5.5 years of age

Karnataka school education minister Madhu Bangarappa said the relaxation would extend to LKG and UKG admissions as well. (Representational Image)

Days after the Karnataka government announced a 60-day relaxation in the minimum age criteria for Class 1 school admissions, a fresh round of demands has emerged from a section of parents, who are now urging authorities to restore last year’s cut-off of five and a half years for Class 1 admissions.

According to a report by The Times of India, the issue traces back to July 2022, when the Karnataka government fixed 6 years as the minimum age for Class 1 admissions. The rule, however, faced stiff resistance from parents and was not implemented at the time.

This year, similar objections prompted parents to approach the school education department, leading the government to grant a 60-day relaxation for the 2026-27 academic session. The decision, announced last week, allows children who are 5 years and 10 months old as of June 1 to be eligible for admission.

Speaking in the legislative assembly, school education minister Madhu Bangarappa said the relaxation would extend to LKG and UKG admissions as well. The revised rule applies uniformly across government, aided, and private institutions, including state board, CBSE, ICSE, and international schools.

However, the move has not satisfied all stakeholders. Some parents argue that the partial relaxation creates inequity and forces younger children to repeat kindergarten.

“It is unfair on our children as they have made a relaxation to benefit only a few. So our children are being forced to repeat kindergarten. This will cause emotional stress on them, including loss of confidence. Additionally, it is a financial burden on us,” TOI quoted a parent as saying.

Echoing similar concerns, BV Yogananda reportedly said, “Last year, the govt said it would never relax the rule again. But it has announced a 60-day relaxation this time. This helps only half the parents. Either it should give full relaxation and bring the age limit back down to five and a half years, or stick to the original stand.”

“Moreover, the govt should immediately release the new regulation for kindergarten admissions so that this does not repeat,” he added.

In a parallel development, the state government has amended norms governing private educational institutions. Yielding to demands from private schools, it has reduced the mandatory land lease requirement from 30 years to 15 years.

A gazetted notification states that private bodies seeking to establish institutions—from pre-primary to higher secondary—must either own land or hold a registered lease for a minimum of 15 years. Institutions are required to submit RTC, e-khata, or khata documents as proof of ownership.

Welcoming the move, Shashi Kumar D said, “The govt has listened to our request to change the lease period. Meanwhile, there are some other issues that need clarity. We will be raising them with the govt soon.”

The government has also introduced new charges for administrative changes in schools. Fees for relocation have reportedly been fixed at Rs 50,000 for primary schools, Rs 75,000 for secondary schools, and Rs 1 lakh for higher secondary institutions. For changes in governing councils, the charges are Rs 1 lakh, Rs 1.5 lakh, and Rs 2 lakh, respectively.

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