Parents demands common forms for nursery admissions

‘Hapless parents could be saved from exploitation by greedy managements of unaided private schools’

The All-India Parents’ Association has written to the Delhi Education Department demanding that a common registration form be issued for admissions in nursery classes (general category). The Capital is gearing up for nursery admissions that will begin next month.

As per the latest guidelines issued earlier this week by Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, the criterion for securing admission to schools will depend on “neighbourhood up to six kilometres from the school, sibling studying in the institution, parent alumni in the school and inter-transfer case”.

The Right to Education Act has also been extended to these admissions. The order further specifically mandates that “there shall be no management quota in admissions in any private unaided recognised schools of Delhi”.

As per the new guidelines admission to a class will now be divided into four parts – twenty-five per cent of the seats are reserved for the economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups, five per cent for wards of the staff/employees of the school and five per cent for girls.

Meanwhile, giving details of the Association’s demand, its president Ashok Agarwal said: “Since the Delhi Government (Education Department) by Recognised Schools (Admission Procedure for Pre-primary Classes) (Amendment) Order, 2013, published vide order dated 18.12.2013 have laid down uniform admission procedure for all unaided recognised private schools in the matter of admission in nursery classes (general category), it would be appropriate on the part of the Directorate of Education to prescribe Common Registration Form for such admissions as has already been done in case of EWS admissions.”

Exploitation

The letter further notes that by prescribing a common registration form for general category admissions also, the hapless parents and students could be saved from exploitation at the hands of greedy managements of unaided private schools.

“If the department takes such a step, it would go long way in preventing commercialisation of education. We, therefore, request that a Common Admission Form may be prescribed for admission in nursery classes (general category) for the academic year 2014-15,” noted Mr. Agarwal