Porvorim: The Goa government on Tuesday introduced a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to raise the minimum age for admission to Class I in recognised schools from five-and-a-half years to six years, bringing the state law in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Right to Education Act.
The Goa School Education (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced during the ongoing Winter Session of the House by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, seeks to amend Section 18 of the Goa School Education Act, 1984, which currently allows admission to Class I for children aged five years and six months.
As per the proposed amendment, a child who has not completed six years of age on or before June 1 of the academic year will not be eligible for admission to Class I or any equivalent class in a recognised school.
However, the Bill provides a one-time relaxation for the academic year 2025–26. Under the proviso, children who have attained the age of five years and six months on or before June 1, 2025, will be permitted to take admission to Class I to avoid disruption for students already in the schooling pipeline.
The amended law also tightens age eligibility for students seeking first-time admission to classes higher than Class I. It stipulates that a student will not be admitted if, after deducting the number of years of normal schooling between that class and Class I, the child’s age falls short of six years.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the amendment is aimed at ensuring uniformity with the NEP 2020 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, both of which prescribe six years as the minimum age for entry into formal schooling.
The Bill states that admissions to recognised schools will continue to be regulated through rules framed by the government. It also clarifies that the proposed amendment will have no financial implications for the state.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who holds the education portfolio, stated in the Bill that the changes are regulatory in nature and necessary to align Goa’s education framework with national standards.
The amendment replaces the existing provision under which the cutoff date and minimum age norms were lower and varied across academic years.
