The education ministry has decided to consider underage pre-primary (PP) students for this academic session following a letter from the prime minister.
The letter signed by the cabinet secretary was sent to the ministry on 17th of this month. Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering directed the ministry to allow students to continue their studies as one-time special consideration with immediate effect, as children are already halfway for this academic year.
An official from the ministry said this consideration was decided solely based on the prime minister’s directives. However, from next year, both private and public schools should follow the existing policy of keeping the admission age of PP grade students at six years.
Last month, representatives of parents, proprietors and principals of private schools appealed to the prime minister to regularise the under-age students in pre-primary after the admission of 890 underage PP students in both public and private schools were revoked in May this year. They had requested the government to at least reconsider this year’s enrolment as a onetime exception and assured to abide by the government’s rule from next year.
But the education ministry earlier said they decided to stand by its policy.
