The Rawalpindi Education Department has introduced a new age rule for student admissions in government schools, setting minimum age limits for each class.
Under the new rules introduced by the department, a child must be at least three years old for taking an admission in nursery.
While for the admission to preparatory classes, the children must be four years old.
Five years for class one, and six years old for the admission in class two and so on up to ten years old for class six.
There is also a relaxation of five years for each grade under special conditions.
For middle and secondary classes, the limits continue in the same pattern.
Students must be 11 years old for class seven and 12 for class eight.
For class nine, officials say students should be at least 13 years old at the time of board registration, while admission to class ten requires a minimum age of 14.
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The officials said that the updated guidelines are meant to bring more consistency to the admission process.
However, the move has raised concerns among some parents, particularly as admissions are already running later than usual this year.
Authorities have also made it clear that students who do not meet the age requirement for class nine will not be registered for board examinations.
Admissions in private schools began earlier in the year, typically in January.
Meanwhile, the government school admission date is April 1, 2026.
Education officials have advised parents to check the new age criteria carefully before applying to avoid delays or rejection during the admission process.
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