Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has decided to extend pre-primary education from two years to three, aligning with its policy of increasing the minimum admission age for Class 1 to six years from 2026. Currently, children start pre-primary education at the age of three and move to Class 1 at five, but under the revised system, they will complete an additional year before advancing. Despite this change, the entry age for pre-primary education will remain at three years.
To accommodate this transition, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will design a new curriculum, ensuring a structured learning experience across the three years. The government has also initiated measures to unify preschool education and establish clear guidelines for pre-primary institutions, addressing concerns raised about private schools operating without standardized regulations.
According to SCERT Director Dr. R K Jayaprakash, the upcoming curriculum will specify the developmental milestones children should achieve each year. Presently, public pre-primary institutions follow the Kalithoni textbook, introduced under the 2013 syllabus framework. However, a delay in the distribution of the second and third volumes of Kalithoni has affected many districts this academic year.
Pre-Primary Staff Remuneration and Challenges
A significant issue remains the remuneration of pre-primary staff. Currently, only teachers and ayahs appointed before August 2012—totaling 2,851 teachers and 1,961 ayahs—receive government honorariums. Those hired post-2012, as well as over 10,000 employees in aided school pre-primary sections, rely solely on low salaries funded by Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). The government has challenged a High Court order that directed it to retroactively increase honorariums from 2012.
With the curriculum revision and new regulations, the government aims to improve the overall quality of early childhood education while addressing the concerns of educators and parents.
