NEP 2020 New Education Policy envisages that the extant 10+2 structure in school education will be modified with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18 as shown in the representative figure and elaborated in detail later under Chapter 4 (Curriculum and Pedagogy in Schools).
Currently, children in the age group of 3-6 are not covered in the 10+2 school education structure as Class 1 begins at age 6. In the new 5+3+3+4 school structure, a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3 is also included, which is aimed at promoting better overall learning, development and well-being.
| Stage | Years | Class | Age | Yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational | 5 | Pre-School / Anganwadi / Balvatika | Ages 3-6 | 3 Yrs |
| Class 1 to 2 | Ages 6-8 | 2 Yrs | ||
| Preparatory | 3 | Class 3 to 5 | Ages 8-11 | 3 Yrs |
| Middle | 3 | Class 6 to 8 | Ages 11-14 | 3 Yrs |
| Secondary | 4 | Class 9 to 12 | Ages 14-18 | 4 Yrs |
( Source : PDF of NEP 2020 New National Education Policy 2020 document in Ministry of Education in India website.)
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