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Education Minister Vasant Purke has asked the centre to bring down the age of compulsory education to two-and-a-half from the present six. This would make pre-primary education compulsory and free, force many lucrative pre-primary schools to shut shop.
Maharashtra wants the centre to amend the constitution to this affect. Pre-primary education would now be funded and monitored by either the state or municipal corporation. Says Purke, In Mumbai, pre-primary education is big business. There is no uniformity in the teaching patterns or the fees.
Under the purview of the government, these malpractices can be curbed. Besides this, children from poor families enter school at six, and lose their most productive years. Hopefully their situation will improve, said Purke.
Purke is confident that this recommendation to amend the constitution will be taken seriously.
The HRD ministry has been in talks with various state education secretaries and talks have already begun about the amendment to the constitution. We have crossed the first level, so hopefully this should be accepted, added Purke.
However Leena Asher from the Kangaroo Kids School thinks otherwise. The government is facing difficulties handling the 6-14 years age category. How will they work on the 2.5-14 years age group. I dont see this plan getting implemented in the next 10 years.. | 
