NEW DELHI: There is consternation among parents about schools asking for documents such as Aadhaar cards and vaccination charts to enable the admission of children into nursery classes. The refusal of schools to accept nameless birth certificates or those with temporary names has also put many complacent parents into a quandary.

Rakesh, a resident of Suraj Park in Rohini, had to leave the application form incomplete after the school made an Aadhaar card mandatory. "Almost all schools near my home require Aadhaar cards," fretted Rakesh, a mobile repair electrician. "I now have to rush and get an Aadhaar identity for my 7-year-old son."

There is confusion because the Directorate of Education clarified on January 9 that Aadhaar issued in the name of any of the parents would suffice as proof of address. Says Shikha Bagga, secretary of NGO Justice for All, which helps parents with admission queries: "We can understand schools demanding the Aadhaar papers of the parents, but it is not right for children as young as three years old."

Similarly, lawyer-activist Khagesh Jha pointed out, "The Right to Education was conceptualised to remove barriers to education. But if schools use Aadhaar to hinder admissions, then this will be in contempt of the Supreme Court, which has said that Aadhaar should never be made mandatory."

But it is not just the identity papers that are worrying parents. Birth certificates too are a problem. Often, births are registered without the official name or under a temporary name. Ashok Pandey, principal of Alhcon International School, said that though he sympathised with parents getting such certificates, schools had no option but to ask for papers with proper names.

This has left Vipin Jain in trouble. He wants to send his 3-year-old son to school, but the birth certificate does not have the tot's name. "I reapplied for a new certificate on January 7, but it usually takes over 20 days to get it. By then, the last day of submitting forms, January 23, will be long gone," the harried man said.

Aditi Sood also applied for her daughter's birth certificate on January 2, and in the meanwhile, on the school's advice, submitted an affidavit. Yet, she said, the school had kept her daughter's admission "on hold". While admitting that a birth certificate is crucial for verification of the child's birth date, Alhcon's Pandey said that schools should perhaps consider giving time parents who do not possess such certificates.

There are issues over other documents like vaccination charts and income certificates too, leading education activist Khagesh Jha to rue that by not enumerating the documents needed for admission, the government had failed to ensure "that all schools have a fixed norm and parents aren't hassled".

Nursery admission goof-up by DoE confuses parents

Richa Banka | Sun, 15 Jan 2017-07:00am , DNA

The education body put the wrong date on their website to determine the age limit for nursery admissions in the Economically Weaker Section and Disadvantaged Group categories

The Directorate of Education (DoE) has goofed up on its website by putting a wrong date to determine the age limit for nursery admissions in the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Disadvantaged Group (DG) categories. The goof-up has left parents confused.

In the frequently asked questions section, the DoE notice said the minimum age of a child for admission to nursery in the EWS/DG categories should not be less than three years as on March 31, 2016, instead of March 31, 2017. Also, it did not specify the upper age limit for admission to nursery.

"My son was born on January 28, 2013. I don't know whether I can apply for admission in the EWS/DG categories," said Harish Kumar.

Another parent, Sunil Kumar, was not sure whether he could apply for admission considering his child was born on August 26, 2012.

"I had applied last year in the EWS category, but my child did not get admission. I don't know whether I can apply this year as my child is 4+," said Kumar.

According to the notification issued by the DoE, dated December 19, 2016, the minimum age for admission to nursery is three years as on March 31, 2017, but the FAQ section differs from this.

Another parent, Ajnesh, said that his daughter is completing four years on March 26, and he is not clear about the upper age limit for admission.

In another instance, the DoE has not issued the list of schools that will have a manual lottery for admissions under the EWS/DG category.

"I don't know which school in my area will hold the manual lottery. The DoE has not issued a list in this regard," said Umesh Khari.

"Confusion prevails among parents seeking admission under the EWS/DG category after going through the FAQs. They are inquiring about the age eligibility criteria. The DoE should rectify the mistake on its website," said Sumit Vohra, Founder of admissionsnursery.com.

He adds, "The DoE has not uploaded a list regarding the schools that are handing out forms in person. Parents are unable to locate these schools in their respective neighbourhoods.

"There are about 400 schools under this category, and parents have no clue about these schools in their area," he said.

The Directorate of Education issued the admission guidelines for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Disadvantaged Group (DG) categories on January 9, 2017, saying, "For private unaided schools recognised by the department under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and private schools regulated by local authorities will have a manual lottery but has not specified the names of the schools, thus creating a pool of queries by parents."

The blunder

According to the notification issued by the DoE, dated December 19, 2016, the minimum age for admission to nursery is three years as on March 31, 2017, but the FAQ section differs from this

Nursery Admissions in Delhi NCR 2026-27

TOI -Now, tick list ticks off many parents/DNA- Nursery admission goof-up by DoE confuses parents/Amar Ujala -Parents confused regarding forms

Now, tick list ticks off many parents

Nursery admission goof-up by DoE confuses parents

The blunder

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