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Few takers for HRD rules on nursery admissions
December 05, 2010   8:15:19 AM

Staff Reporter | New Delhi

The new guidelines for nursery school admissions released by the MHRD has not scored many points with school authorities and parents across the Capital, as they are finding the new system a little hard to digest.

Expressing desire for the retention of the previous point system, many teachers and parents have spoken against the implementation of the random selection process introduced by the MHRD, terming the process as an 'unnecessary gamble'.

According to Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely the guidelines issued by MHRD give some relaxation to the schools to form various organisations and then go for draw of lots. Schools cannot follow old criteria, must stick to HRD norms." However, many schools and parents came forward in support of the 100-point system on Friday following the Minister's comment.

Jyoti Bose, principal of Springdales Public School, Dhaula Kuan said, "If random means lottery system then it is shocking as to how can one start a child's future on the basis of chance or luck. This lottery system can separate one sibling from the other. It may lead to unequal ratio of boys and girls in school. Random or chance can never be rational."

RC Jain, president of Delhi State Public School Management Association said, "this new lottery system for admitting children into nursery schools is not feasible. The 100 point formula was a better idea." Jain added that the random selection process does not provide transparency. The Delhi State Public School Management Association is a body of 113 private schools, and it is one of the many school associations that met the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit in this regard on Thursday

Chairperson of the National Progressive Schools Conference ( NPSC), L.V. Sehgal, voicing similar concerns said that the preference for the previous point system was unanimously desired by the various school associations. Sehgal said, "The previous point system was working and was also fulfilling the requirements of the RTE. I do not see any point why it should not be continued."

Owner of admissionsnursery.com, Sumit Vohra said, "It is improper to gamble with the lives of little children. All the parents feel the point system was more transparent." Vohra added that parents having more than one child find the lottery system the most distressing, as they feel that it will be next to impossible to put both of their children in the same school, as the lottery system, is by nature, random.

Puneet Sacchar, a parent said, "It is shameful that a child's future will now depend on luck." Allthough standards of teaching are often similar, some choose Vasant Valley, while others choose DPS. Many parents worry that now they to admit their children into schools of their choice, or they may not be able to afford the school wherein their child gets picked by random selection.

Another parent Pratibha Singh said, "In the lottery system if decisions take place behind closed doors, it is obvious that corruption will happen.”

We will end up looking like gamblers. It will result in a horrendous culture."

Nursery admission forms will be released starting Janurary 1, 2011, and the next few months will no doubt be a confusing period for school authorities and parents alike, as the Directorate of Education is yet to issue the guidelines.