Role shift: Parents to screen schools

Maroosha Muzaffar

New Delhi Nursery admission process starts in NCR; DPS, Gurgaon, first off block, to issue prospectus today

Manika Awasthi, a corporate professional, has started visiting various schools in and around Gurgaon to make sure her only son Shiv goes to the “right” school.

“Schools screen parents, so why can’t parents screen the schools before seeking admission for the child,” says Awathi. A resident of Nirvana Country in Gurgaon, she says, “It is tough to get admission in schools, we are doing our best. I went to the Sun City School and Heritage School over the weekend. I am also planning to go to other schools that allow ‘walk-throughs’. I ask them questions about the philosophy of the school, about the teacher-student ratio etc.”

With Delhi Public School, Gurgaon, throwing open the nursery admission process from Monday, parents have started pulling their socks and preparing for the race ahead. DPS Gurgaon will be the first school in the NCR to start the sale of prospectus andregistration forms for admission in nursery for the session 2011-2012.

In Delhi, the sale of forms will begin in December or January as per the Directorate of Education (DoE) officials. Last year, the DoE had asked all achools across the Capital to follow a uniform calender for sale and admission process. But in the National Capital Region, schools start selling forms from August.

“I will be applying for the admission of my son to those schools that will ensure the holistic development of my child. I want to make the best decision for my child,” says Awasthi.

Sumit Vohra, creator of the blogadmissionsnursery.com, says, “There is a certain anxiety among parents this year regarding certain issues like screening, age etc. Parents have strated making preparations.”

The RTE obstacle

Meanwhile, with the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, according to which any screening at the time of admissions is banned, schools are now in a tight spot. “It is going to be a difficult situation for us,” said V K Kuriakose, Principal of the St Thomas School at Indirapuram in Ghaziabad. The school will start the sale of forms in November. “If a school gets 900 applications and has only 150 seats to offer, what will the school do in such a situation.”

Private unaided schools are worried as the entry level for most of the schools is nursery and they cannot refuse any child. The Act also applies to “admission of a child in the pre-primary classes”. Section 13 (1) of the RTE Act reads, “No school or person shall, while admitting a child, collect any capitation fee and subject the child or his or her parents or guardian to any screening procedure. If a school subjects a child to screening procedure, it shall be punishable with a fine up to Rs 25,000 for the first contravention and Rs 50,000 for each subsequent contraventions,” the Act says.

In Delhi, the National Progressive School’s Conference (NPSC) too is mulling this issue. S K Bhattacharya, president of the Action Committee for the Private Recognised Schools, says, “This is going to be a big problem. There will be no option but to go for the draw of lots.” He adds that “first come first serve” basis will “lead to corruption. Parents might bribe the schools for a seat.”

Appeal filed

The Action Committee has already appealed the High Court to look into the matter. “We met Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely and told him that this is going to create problems. The points system was working satisfactorily,” he says. As per the points system, admission was granted on the basis of certain criteria like distance from the school, siblings, minority, girl child etc.

Ashok Agarwal, lawyer and president All India Parents’ Association says, “The Delhi government needs to bring the points system in conformity with the RTE Act. According to the RTE, there will be no screening. School can now go for the draw of lots.”

For admission under the 25 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Section, it has already been decided that there will be a draw of lots. “The minority schools can have seperate application for the minority and non-minority though,” says Agarwal.

Indian Express, New Delhi, August 2, 2010