Arbitrary regulations from Delhi schools are causing nightmares for parents seeking nursery admission for their children. But in one of the strangest initiatives yet, Salwan School, a private school in the Capital, has barred parents who have more than two children from seeking admission. According to Sushil Salwan, chairperson of the Salwan group, this regulation does not just apply to the parents but to the teaching faculty at the school as well.
"The rule is not limited to parents applying at the school but also for faculty members teaching at our branches. If a teacher has more than two children, he or she is not eligible to work at our schools," Salwan said.
The chairperson's remarks can be confirmed by the clause mentioned in the registration form issued by the two branches of Salwan School—Salwan Montessori and GD Salwan— both of which are located in Rajendra Nagar, in West Delhi. In the form it is clearly mentioned, "Parents having more than two children, including whose admission is sought, need not apply."
Asked to explain the rationale for this 'bizarre' regulation, the chairperson of the Salwan group cites the population explosion in the country as a reason. "India's rising population has become a major hurdle in its development. I think everybody should contribute to help the nation in curbing it and this is our way of motivating people to have less children," Salwan told dna.
Needless to say, the regulation has further angered already harried parents looking for admission. Meenakshi Sharma, parent and resident of Rajendra Nagar, says, "How can a school accept or reject us on the basis of how many children we have? Why should the children suffer for this?"
Shreya Singh, another parent, agrees and adds, "This is no way of contributing to the development of one's country. If the school actually wants to do something for the welfare of the nation, it should provide underprivileged children with more opportunities to study at the school."
Experts say the school's regulation has no mention in the Directorate of Education's guidelines and add that Salwan School must remove the directive with immediate effect.
Sumit Vohra, who runs an online helpline admissionsnursery.com, for parents seeking admission, says, "This regulation is arbitrary and is unfair to both parents and children. Why should children be barred from education just because there are more than two siblings? Don't these children have a right to get an education in an old, established, sought after school?"
Vohra adds that it's not just Salwan school; other schools in the Capital are now allegedly asking for bizarre requirements from parents, like their visiting card and declaration of their annual income prior to registration.
"We have received complaints from parents on our portal regarding some private schools including DAV, Pushpanjali, Happy Model school, Janakpuri who are (allegedly) asking parents for their visiting cards and their annual income for registration which is totally against the rules. By doing so they are discriminating against economically marginalized sections of our society," he said.
