“I want to get my girl a good school, never had I thought that it’s going to be so tough. This is turning out to be more difficult than any exam I ever took in my lifetime. These have been the only times when I have been really demanding of my little girl….This isn’t fair?”
Shivani lives in South Delhi and has been on phone calls like these with her family and friends over the last few days. Shivani got in touch with me and had numerous questions to ask around the nursery admissions process. During the interaction, she suggested that I write this article for all proparents looking for that elusive nursery seat for their child.
1. Why is the Nursery Admission state the way it is in Delhi NCR?
This is a case of Need v/s Availability equation. Delhi NCR has close to 1,250 private unaided schools with around 1.42 lac nursery seats. On the other hand, there are more than 1.70 lac children waiting to get a nursery seat. Over the last few years, a Point System for screening of applications came into being based on the recommendation from the Ganguly committee. This point system at best is a guiding mechanism and has been tweaked by schools from time to time. Clearly, a non-uniform implementation and lack of enforcement directive of this system has led to further chaos and confusion.
2. Is this situation going to change anytime soon?
More seats and more upcoming schools can definitely change this current situation. But, it doesn't looks like, it's happening soon. It will take some years for that to happen. In a recent ruling, Private unaided schools can now run a second shift after regular school hours. This is potentially a good step to take care of the impending worry. This shift, however, would have to be run as a separate entity with no common teachers from the first shift. There will be no transfer of first shift students to the second shift. The admission criteria in the second shift will be same as that of the first shift with 25% reservation for EWS category under RTE Act. The big question is, "Are schools implementing it?"...the small answer is "hardly; yet to be seen". I hope, they do, at least this year onwards.
3. What's the minimum age for admission into nursery? Is there an upper age limit too?
Delhi School Education Advisory Board (DSEAB) has taken some clear decisions, as announced on 19th Dec’12, followed by the high court ruling on the upper age limit for admissions. For admission into nursery, the minimum age has to be of 3 years by or before March 30 of the academic year in which admission is sought. And as per the recent Delhi high court ruling, there is now no upper age limit for nursery admissions.
4. Would the points system be followed this year?
Schools, which will be following the point system in the new admission season starting in the academic year 2014, have been asked to give maximum weightage to distance from school (neighborhood criteria). Though, all schools have been mandated in Delhi to follow this system,
schools have carried on to twist, tweak, change this to suit their own convenience. The other criteria for points are alumni, sibling, and single parent (includes widows as well under the same head). There may be a separate pointer for orphans this year. The point system has been criticized in the past by the parents for lack of fairness.
5. When will the nursery forms be available? How does it work?
The nursery forms will be made available beginning now. Some of the schools have come out with the nursery forms already. You may keep a track of these on the nursery admissions section on parentune as well. Schools will get a clear period to apply these, and then a time to process the forms and meet the parents. Schools would then come out with the first shortlist, followed by a second list.
In a recent poll on Parentune.com, 95% proparents felt that the nursery admission in Delhi NCR is unfair and lacks transparency. I would suggest you to perhaps start reaching out to fellow parents on the site, especially the ones with their children in the schools of your choice; seek their feedback, opinions. Refer the parent-only-ranking of schools in Delhi NCR . You may keep a close tab if you follow the site, check the daily round-ups and updates. Moreover reach out to the parentune education expert panel through the admission corner with all your queries and we shall try our best to address them in quick time. Signing off with best wishes.
“For the ones we want to make things better for, everyday, as a parent…. Our entire life is an ode to our children.” Parentune
Shivani lives in South Delhi and has been on phone calls like these with her family and friends over the last few days. Shivani got in touch with me and had numerous questions to ask around the nursery admissions process. During the interaction, she suggested that I write this article for all proparents looking for that elusive nursery seat for their child.
1. Why is the Nursery Admission state the way it is in Delhi NCR?
This is a case of Need v/s Availability equation. Delhi NCR has close to 1,250 private unaided schools with around 1.42 lac nursery seats. On the other hand, there are more than 1.70 lac children waiting to get a nursery seat. Over the last few years, a Point System for screening of applications came into being based on the recommendation from the Ganguly committee. This point system at best is a guiding mechanism and has been tweaked by schools from time to time. Clearly, a non-uniform implementation and lack of enforcement directive of this system has led to further chaos and confusion.
2. Is this situation going to change anytime soon?
More seats and more upcoming schools can definitely change this current situation. But, it doesn't looks like, it's happening soon. It will take some years for that to happen. In a recent ruling, Private unaided schools can now run a second shift after regular school hours. This is potentially a good step to take care of the impending worry. This shift, however, would have to be run as a separate entity with no common teachers from the first shift. There will be no transfer of first shift students to the second shift. The admission criteria in the second shift will be same as that of the first shift with 25% reservation for EWS category under RTE Act. The big question is, "Are schools implementing it?"...the small answer is "hardly; yet to be seen". I hope, they do, at least this year onwards.
3. What's the minimum age for admission into nursery? Is there an upper age limit too?
Delhi School Education Advisory Board (DSEAB) has taken some clear decisions, as announced on 19th Dec’12, followed by the high court ruling on the upper age limit for admissions. For admission into nursery, the minimum age has to be of 3 years by or before March 30 of the academic year in which admission is sought. And as per the recent Delhi high court ruling, there is now no upper age limit for nursery admissions.
4. Would the points system be followed this year?
Schools, which will be following the point system in the new admission season starting in the academic year 2014, have been asked to give maximum weightage to distance from school (neighborhood criteria). Though, all schools have been mandated in Delhi to follow this system,
schools have carried on to twist, tweak, change this to suit their own convenience. The other criteria for points are alumni, sibling, and single parent (includes widows as well under the same head). There may be a separate pointer for orphans this year. The point system has been criticized in the past by the parents for lack of fairness.
5. When will the nursery forms be available? How does it work?
The nursery forms will be made available beginning now. Some of the schools have come out with the nursery forms already. You may keep a track of these on the nursery admissions section on parentune as well. Schools will get a clear period to apply these, and then a time to process the forms and meet the parents. Schools would then come out with the first shortlist, followed by a second list.
In a recent poll on Parentune.com, 95% proparents felt that the nursery admission in Delhi NCR is unfair and lacks transparency. I would suggest you to perhaps start reaching out to fellow parents on the site, especially the ones with their children in the schools of your choice; seek their feedback, opinions. Refer the parent-only-ranking of schools in Delhi NCR . You may keep a close tab if you follow the site, check the daily round-ups and updates. Moreover reach out to the parentune education expert panel through the admission corner with all your queries and we shall try our best to address them in quick time. Signing off with best wishes.
“For the ones we want to make things better for, everyday, as a parent…. Our entire life is an ode to our children.” Parentune
