Feb 18, Kathmandu- The government has been advised that children should be admitted to a class only after they reach the age of 6. This suggestion was made by a study committee comprising education experts. The committee has recommended that children should complete 4 years of age for the one-year pre-primary level (ECD) that they should study before being admitted to a class.

The committee, coordinated by Deepak Sharma, Director General of the Education and Human Resource Development Center, has emphasized the need to bring uniformity in private and community schools by keeping the duration of ECD to only one year. The Compulsory and Free Education Act has made provision for conducting one-year ECD before admission to class one. However, private schools have been operating Montessori and practicing ECD classes for 2 to 3 years in the name of Nursery, LKG, and UKG and earning income.

Coordinator Sharma informed that it has been suggested that children should be admitted to ECD only after completing 48 months and to be admitted to grade one after completing 60 months. The committee has suggested that children who have not been admitted to ECD should be admitted to grade one after completing 60 months. The committee says that care centers (play groups) can be operated for children who have not completed 4 years.

The committee has suggested that care centers can be operated at the local level, keeping in mind the constraints of busy parents. The committee formed to study various issues of ECD has said that it has made suggestions after studying international practices and the practical situation of Nepal. The committee included teachers' federation, parents' federation, representatives of private schools and experts from the pre-primary level.

The committee has submitted a report with its suggestions to Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Vidya Bhattarai. Bhattarai had formed a committee comprising experts to implement the provisions of the Compulsory and Free Education Act and bring uniformity in ECD.