Schools declare results, parents look for hope- PIONEER

Leading schools of Delhi have started declaring results for nursery admissions. The fate of most of the parents hoping to book a seat for their children in nursery classes is dependent on the draw of lots.

For about 40-50 seats for general category candidates in most of the schools, the schools have received numerous applications. Parents are leaving no stones unturned to get their children admitted to a good school. In an unusual case, parents were found having filled up multiple forms for securing a seat for their wards in nursery.

Though several schools in the Capital have been declaring results for the past 10 days, February 1 was the day when most of the schools in Delhi came out with their results for nursery admissions. Schools adopted the draw of lots method for admitting candidates in schools.

“We had received close to 4,000 applicants out of whom only 1,715 fulfilled the eligibility criteria for 60 seats,” informed the office of the principal at Tagore International School, East of Kailash. The school conducted a draw of lots to pick candidates who would make to the final list.

Two cases of parents having filled up multiple forms came up at Bal Bharti Public School, Pitampura. Parents were found having filled three forms for ensuring a seat in the school. However, on being caught by the school, their wards were denied admission. The parents who did not want to be quoted agreed that they had filled three forms, one under the sibling category and another in alumni category and the third in the general category. The parents, however, said that all they wanted was to ensure a seat for their son at the school.

While some parents were lucky to secure a seat for their ward in the draw of lots, the not so lucky ones felt that because of seats having reserved for siblings, alumni, economic weaker section category and the management quota, the number of seats available for general category students has shrunk.

“Only 34 per cent seats in Tagore International School are available for general category. A major chunk of the seat goes to the Economic Weaker Section, siblings and management quota. Though I had acquired some points for neighbourhood, I could not make to the list,” said Jasmine Marwah, a parent.

Jasmine is now worried that if her son does not get a seat in a desired school this year, her son will become over age for admission in nursery next year, since most of the schools have an upper age cap.

However, Sumit Vohra, founder of admission nursery.com feels that the need of the hour for parents is to book a seat, even if they are not getting one in a desired school. “The trend in the schools is that a number of schools come up with vacancies in standard one to sixth. These parents and children have a chance of moving to a desired school then,” said Vohra.

Vohra feels that securing a seat now is a better move than waiting for another year, when most aspiring candidates will not meet the age eligibility criteria.

Lovely seeks CD of sting operation -Deccan Herald
New Delhi, Feb 1, 2012, DHNS:

A day after a news channel telecast a sting operation showing officials of four schools in outer Delhi demanding money from parents for nursery admissions, education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said he will come to a conclusion after going through the CD.

He said he will take action if the school officials were found guilty.

“I have called a meeting of education department officials on Thursday and demanded the CD of the sting operation from the news channel. Only after watching it, we will be able to reach a conclusion,” he said.

The sting by a Hindi news channel, showed school officials demanding between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh from parents to get their children admitted. While two schools are in Dwarka, one is in Rohini and another in Anand Viha