Despite repeated warnings from the Delhi government, over 80 private schools in the national capital were yet to notify their criteria for nursery admissions that are set to begin tomorrow.
According to data available with the Directorate of Education, 88 out of 1,737 private schools have not notified their criteria despite passing of three deadlines and the department warning them of strict action.
DoE had asked all unaided recognised schools to "develop and adopt criteria for admission which shall be clear, well defined, equitable, non-discriminatory, unambiguous and transparent".
The schools were asked to upload the criteria adopted for admission to entry level classes, other than those for economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups, for the academic session 2016-17 on the directorate's website latest by December 20.
However, after over 1,300 schools had failed to meet the deadline, DoE issued a notice warning the schools of strict action if the directive was not complied with latest by December 25. The deadline was later extended to December 31.
The nursery admission process in Delhi schools will begin from January 1 and conclude on March 31.
While the last date for submitting the application is January 22, the first list will be out on February 15 followed by another list on February 29.
The admissions to the entry level classes in private schools under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Disadvantaged Group (DG) categories will also be carried out in the same schedule.
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With an aim of checking corruption and giving multiple options for admissions to parents of wards, the admissions under the two categories have been made online for the first time.
Till now, the government has just been issuing a common form and monitoring the draw-of-lots. The rest of the process used to be managed by schools. In an online system, however, candidates will be allotted seats and the admission process will be centralised.
However, only schools recognised under the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973 will be part of the online process and those recognised under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 and regulated by local authorities will continue the admission in the previous mode.
The controversy-prone nursery admission process in Delhi which normally starts in December has undergone several changes in the past as the authorities looked for ways to make things easier for parents.
Besides state-run schools, the rules are meant to regulate admissions to entry-level classes in private recognised institutions as well.
According to guidelines issued by DoE, all schools shall comply with the directive that the number of seats at entry- level shall not be less than the highest number of seats in the entry class during the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-2016.
From this year onwards, the government has also fixed an upper age limit for admission to entry level classes with the maximum age for nursery admissions being set at four years and five and six years for pre-primary and Class I.
The upper age limit for admission to entry level classes for differently abled children have been fixed at five, six and seven years.
