Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government on Monday introduced a Pre-Primary Education Policy to regulate preschools. The policy requires children to be at least three years old at the time of admission.

This policy, inspired by the National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy and the National Education Policy, specifies that children attending such preschools should be at least three years old by June 1 of the academic year. While some parent bodies welcomed the move, preschool operators expressed caution about its implications.

Furthermore, all existing preschools have been instructed to register within a 12-month timeframe, and only registered preschools will be permitted to operate. As per the policy document, the preschools will fall under the jurisdiction of the District Primary Education Officer (DPEO) or District Education Officer (DEO).