Nursery admissions in the national capital do not seem to be a smooth-sail even this year, as both the Delhi government and a section of parents are all set to file petitions demanding a stay on the Delhi High Court's recent verdict. The HC in its order on Friday scrapped the Delhi government's guidelines, further allowing "maximum autonomy" to private-unaided schools in the city to frame their own admission policy. The decision has left the parents even more anxious as they are wary of the admission cycle undergoing the same series of court cases that delayed the admissions last year until summer vacations.

The Directorate of Education, after last year's fiasco, recently announced that guidelines will be released early-December for the next session. However, it will not be the case since after moving the court the matter will be presented before a division bench first. "Even if the directorate files the petition at the earliest, court proceedings may take time. It may even go the Supreme Court," said a DoE official. While schools welcome the change, the Delhi government and parents are in favour of having "uniform guidelines". They are also worried about schools freezing seats under the management quota. The situation has become even more difficult this year, said Sheeba Adil, parent of a four-year-old who will be seeking admission for her daughter in the next session. "The verdict is totally against the larger parent community. The verdict is only school-friendly and does not take into consideration the fact that schools may not even ensure space for middle class parents. It will once again be a series of petitions, court orders and court stays making it equally difficult for parents as last year," she said.

The Directorate of Education, after last year’s fiasco, recently announced that guidelines will be released early-December for the next session. However, it will not be the case since after moving the court the matter will be presented before a division bench first.

Sumit Vohra, founder of admissionsnuresry.com, a forum for parent's rights, said, "As the Delhi government is planning to go to court, it will not be issuing the admission calendar, which sets the admission process in motion, anytime soon. This will result in greater delay even if the schools are ready with their fresh policy on time. Why should parents be at the receiving end every year? They being the most important stakeholders of the system are not involved for discussion before any such decision." However, city schools maintain that they will be formulating the guidelines, as per the court orders, based on the Ganguly Committee recommendations (2007).

When asked about the parent's concerns, M.I. Hussein, principal of DPS Mathura Road, said, "The court's order entails formulating the guidelines as per the Ganguly Committee recommendations, which it has been doing barring last year when the government released common guidelines. Yes, management quota will return, but parents don't have to worry, as we will have a transparent and streamlined system. The number of seats will remain the same."

He added that the school is going to have an emergent meeting of its society next week to decide on a uniform admission policy.

Times of India 30 Nov - Day after HC order, parents confused about nursery admission

TNN | Nov 30, 2014, 04.46 AM IST

NEW DELHI: What Friday's high court order on nursery admission and the government's decision to challenge it have precipitated is confusion. Told in September that the government was attempting to issue guidelines early, many parents are wondering what this renewed legal battle means for the admission schedule. The rest are girding up for prolonged stress and numerous delays.

"I can forecast a delayed admission process due to fresh litigations. There is no end to this problem," writes a parent on an online forum. Another asks, "Since the court order is out, how soon can we expect the schools to start the admission process? Do you think we will see more stay orders/court order in near future?" A third writes, "I believe most of us want to know what this decision means with respect to admission process and whether schools can commence admissions on their own or there would still be guidelines from DoE. If every school has to independently release its own guidelines, that would create unprecedented chaos." Lawyer-activist Khagesh Jha points out that, with the government going back to court against this order, delay is almost certain.

Many parents, though competing for seats in private schools, are with the government and believe a degree of control should be exercised over schools. "Ask owners of schools to buy their own land at market price. Then they should be allowed to do things as per their wish. If schools use government land, taken on lease at concessional rates, they must follow the government's rules and regulations," writes an angry parent.

The constant fuss over nursery admissions is even pushing exasperated parents to think about government institutions with some proposing to start a "movement" in support of government schools. "Let us support government schools and reject private schools. Let us say 'no' to such (private) schools and bring down demand [for them] to a large extent. Let us compel the government to start nursery class in government schools," writes a parent on online forum, admissionsnursery.com.

"After the court verdict, many parents are still confused about the calendar and whether DoE will still issue a broad framework. We are getting dozens of queries by mail. But most are not aware DoE won't issue any guidelines but appeal against the verdict," says Sumit Vohra of admissionsnursery.com.