The Haryana government on December 5 issued orders to shut nursery, lower kindergarten (LKG) and upper kindergarten (UKG) classes in private schools across the state.

Explaining the reason behind such move Vijay Laxmi Nandal, Elementary Education Officer, Rohtak said that it is to ensure that children are provided with enough time to play. Nandal, said, “Children should get ample time to play and grow mentally.”

She said that a child should only be admitted in a school after the age of 5 years so that his mental growth is fine. “Children below five years of age can go to an Anganwadi or a playschool where they learn while playing,” she said.

However, after the order to shut the nursery and kindergarten classes were directed to the Private schools, it drew criticism and protest from the Association of Private Schools in Haryana as they demanded the same to be applicable to the Government schools as well.

There are around 8,500 private schools across Haryana where children are enrolled in pre-primary classes.

Ravinder Nandal, the District President of Haryana Private School Association accused the state government of discrimination and said that the government schools also intake 4 to 5-year-old children and the same order should be applicable to them as well.

He further threatened that if the order is not directed to the government schools then all the teachers and staff associated with private schools will take to streets to express its dissatisfaction. The government is yet to respond.

Earlier in the day,  Kanwar Pal, the state education minister told The Indian Express that pre-primary classes allegedly affects a “child’s mental abilities and growth patterns” at a young age.

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