ll play-schools in Delhi will now have to reserve 25 per cent of seats for kids under economically weaker section (EWS) category. The notification issued by education department makes it mandatory for play-schools, pre-nursery and crèche that have procured land from government agencies and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to implement the EWS quota.
As per the notification, all such schools will have to prominently display the information on their website and notice board. “Students applying under the EWS category will not have to pay the registration fees or buy prospectus of the school.”
To bring in transparency in the admission process, each school will have to generate registration number for every application received and if a student is denied admission then the school will have to state the reason along with the application. “We have come to know of many students who meet the criteria but were denied admission on some ground or the other,” said an education department official. “At the same time, students not qualifying under the EWS quota are enrolled in the schools.”
Recently, Delhi Police had busted an EWS admission racket in south Delhi where four persons were arrested for helping nearly 50 students from well-off families get admission in various schools in Delhi under the EWS category, in exchange of huge amount of money. “Police then found out that some students enrolled under the scheme would go to school in fancy cars,” said the official.
The distance criteria adopted for admission of EWS candidates at entry level classes under the provisions of Right to Education Act, 2009 will remain the same for admission at pre-school level. Officials said efforts have been made to keep admission process as transparent and fair as possible.
If the number of applications received is more than the number of seats, students will be selected as per ‘draw of lots’ policy. “The draw will be fair as it has to take place in the presence of parents,” he said. Moreover, no school can conduct interviews, hold written/verbal exams for parents and provide counselling to them. “This has been done as many parents complain that the interviews are arbitrary and their ward is rejected on the basis of their performance. It’s the student who has to study in the school and not the parents.”
Educationists and activists welcoming the move say that it should have been applied since 2004. “It is a very good decision by the government and for this long play-schools have been overlooked,” said Ashok Aggarwal of Social Jurist group.
Students applying under the EWS category will not have to pay the registration fees or buy prospectus of the school
