Page 16 - EducationWorld January 2021

Education News

DELHI admission dates and guidelines if
Nursery admissions anxiety any. Under the guidelines of the past

three years, admissions are made
online under lottery system from
neighbourhood applicants. More-
over, children admitted last year are
already receiving restricted online
education. Therefore the new batch
can also be given limited online
learning and can join physical classes
after schools reopen,” says Vividh
Gupta, principal, Bal Bhavan Public
School, Mayur Vihar.
Moreover this year, this annual
season of anxiety is compounded by
the Covid-19 crisis. With all edu-
cation institutions shuttered and
children learning remotely, is it ap-
propriate to provide online learning
for tiny infants in nursery classes?
Most ECCE (early childhood care
Nursery admissions scramble in Delhi: postponement rumour heartburn and education) experts warn against
exposing youngest children to digital
he state government’s dithering the winter months, until a transpar- devices. However, some composite
over notifying guidelines for ent system of drawing lots and online schools and standalone preschools
Tnursery admissions in Delhi admissions was designed by the Aam citing education ministry guidelines
for the academic year 2021-22, is Aadmi Party (AAP) government in are providing an hour per week
generating confusion among young 2016. Earlier it was normative for teacher-pupil interaction.
parents and school managements. irate parents, denied admission for With the anti-Coronavirus vacci-
Normatively, the admission process is their progeny into schools of their nation campaign around the corner,
spread over the months of December- choice, to file writ petitions alleging secondary schools reopening and
January. However, this year because demands for capitation fees, child the industry and business lockdowns
of the prolonged closure of education profiling and interviews, and obtain- almost over, a rising number of
institutions since mid-March because ing stay orders. working parents are worried about
of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pan- Because of poor civic planning loss of learning if nursery admissions
demic, admissions are on hold. and discouragement of greenfield are cancelled this year.
Although there is no official word private schools for decades, the Autar Nehru (Delhi)
about the date on which nursery and demand-supply balance for nursery
kindergarten admissions will begin, classes is totally skewed. Although MAHARASHTRA
unconfirmed reports suggest that the 500 government schools offer nurs-
state government is thinking of post- ery classes, there are few takers for Unseemly wrangling
poning them for a whole year. This them. The admissions rush is from
rumour is causing heartburn within middle and upper class households rom mid-january onwards, 8,000
private school managements in the in Delhi (pop.19 million) for admis- private unaided schools across
national capital, more so because sion into 3,000 top-ranked compos- FMaharashtra will block online
schools in Delhi NCR — Noida, Gha- ite private schools that offer nursery classes for students with unpaid fees.
ziabad, Gurgaon etc — have started classes. This annual scramble for The state’s independent schools say
their admission processes. nursery admissions is understand- they have been forced to resort to this
Admission into nurseries of the able. Admission into nursery of a action as a survey conducted by them
too-few schools in Delhi that offer top-ranked EWISR (EducationWorld indicates 38 percent of financially
nursery classes is a big ticket event in India School Rankings) composite unhurt parents have been withhold-
the national capital. Queues for ad- school ensures smooth passage until ing school fees for the past six-seven
mission forms of top-ranked schools class XII. months. Likewise, with a mere 30
often snaked for miles notwithstand- “The state government should percent of parents of children in af-
ing the bitter cold and polluted air of immediately announce nursery fordable budget private schools (BPS)

16 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2021