The Telangana government has announced the introduction of pre-primary education from Nursery to Upper Kindergarten (UKG) in all government schools starting from the 2026-27 academic year. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made the announcement on Friday, stating that the move aims to bring government schools on par with private and corporate institutions in providing quality early childhood education.
Currently, formal education in Telangana government schools begins from Class 1. The new policy will integrate Nursery (Balvatika), Lower Kindergarten (LKG), and Upper Kindergarten (UKG) as foundational stages. Admissions for Nursery will be open for children aged 3+ years as on March 31 of the admission year. The initiative is expected to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy skills as envisaged under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The Chief Minister highlighted that the state spends an average of ₹1.08 lakh per student annually in government schools, which is often higher than fees charged by many private institutions. Despite an education budget allocation of nearly ₹25,000 crore and over 26,000 government schools with 18 lakh students, enrolment lags behind the 33 lakh students studying in around 11,000 private schools. Introducing pre-primary classes is seen as a strategic step to boost enrolment and retain students within the public education system.
The government plans to roll out the programme with adequate infrastructure, trained teachers, and child-friendly learning materials. Play-based pedagogy, activity-centred learning, and basic digital exposure will form the core of the new curriculum at the pre-primary level. Recruitment of additional teachers and creation of new posts for early childhood educators is also on the cards to support smooth implementation.
Education experts have welcomed the decision, noting that early intervention significantly improves learning outcomes in later stages. Parents, especially from economically weaker sections, are expected to benefit as quality pre-primary education will now be available free of cost in government schools, reducing the financial burden of private kindergarten fees.
The announcement also includes plans to offer education from Nursery to Class 12 in 100 Young India Integrated Residential Schools, one in each assembly constituency. Detailed guidelines, teacher training modules, and admission procedures will be released by the School Education Department in the coming months.
This reform underscores the Telangana government’s commitment to inclusive and equitable education, aiming to make public schools the first choice for parents across the state.