CBSE eases rules for pre-nursery schools under NEP from 2026-27

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced new rules allowing schools already affiliated with the board to set up “branch schools” with classes from Balvatika to Class 5 in a bid to address the issue of shortage of space.

Under the Affiliation Bye-Laws (Branch School)-2025, schools affiliated with CBSE can apply to establish branch schools, within the same city as the main school, from the 2026-27 academic session.

The decision was taken to address the shortage of land and space to run Balvatikas, a preschool designed to prepare children aged between 3 and 6 years for formal schooling by focusing on play-based learning as envisioned in National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, CBSE chairperson Rahul Singh told HT.

“The new bye-laws are for those schools which are facing space issue, especially in urban areas to run Balvatika classes. Now, they existing affiliated schools would be allowed to run branch schools from Balvatika to Class 5,” Singh said.

According to CBSE’s circular, existing affiliated (main) schools will have classes from 6 to 12 and the branch schools will have classes from Balvatika to Class 5. Additionally, the schools must be affiliated with the national school board.

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) which runs central-government run Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) introduced Balvatika for preschool education in the academic session 2023-24, with classes running for three hours a day, on a five-day week basis.

According to the latest circular, main schools will be allowed to establish a branch school under the same name, affiliation number and the same management, but with a separate set of resources in terms of physical and academic infrastructure, and teaching and supporting staff.

Both schools will have a common website with a section dedicated to the branch school, the circular said.

Sudha Acharya, principal of Delhi-based ITL Public School and executive member of National Progressive Schools’ Conference (NPSC) said most of the private schools affiliated to CBSE in Delhi run classes from nursery, Kindergarten (KG) to Class 12.

“Delhi is yet to implement NEP 2020. If the new Delhi government starts implementing NEP-2020, we have to start Balvatika 1, 2, and 3 for children aged 3 to 6 and we need space for that. The new bye-laws allow us to start branch school for students till Class 5 and run the main schools for students enrolled in Class 6 to 12,” Acharya said.