Ombudsman welcomes exception, allowing children turning six before 2026 end, to enter school

The Public Defender of Georgia welcomes the decision, according to which, in the 2026-2027 academic year, as an exception, children who will have turned 6 years old by December 31, 2026, will be allowed to register for the first grade.

According to their press release, the Public Defender had been contacted on this issue by parents.

“The parents believed that the legislative amendments regarding the school age violated the rights of their children, since they had already passed the school readiness stage, and they could prove this.

It is important that the decision takes into account the problems raised by parents and ensures that the individual needs and best interests of children born during the specified period have been considered.

The Public Defender expresses the hope that the best interests of the child will be taken into account as one of the main principles in the further planning of education policy and that such issues will be discussed with the active involvement of relevant stakeholders,” reads the press release by the Public Defender’s Office.