4-year-olds preferred at select schools

Maroosha Muzaffar Tags : education, academic session 2011-12 Posted: Wed Jan 05 2011, 05:17 hrs New Delhi:

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For parents who missed out on a nursery seat for their little one in the Capital’s schools last year, there is good news. A few schools in the city are admitting four-year-olds in pre-school classes for academic session 2011-12.

Ahlcon Public School in Mayur Vihar (East Delhi) and two branches of The Heritage School in Vasant Kunj (South Delhi) and Rohini in (Northwest Delhi) are admitting children in the age group of three to five years in their pre-school classes. This signifies a shift from the usual age of three plus that is being considered by other private schools.

In Ahlcon Public School, while 20 points are reserved for children who are aged four but less than five as on March 31, 2011, 15 and 10 points are reserved for children aged less than four and three-and-a-half years respectively.

School principal R K Sharma says, “A four-year-old child is able to cope with the pressures better than a three-year-old. I think four is an ideal age to be in school. The maturity level of a four-year-old is also more than a three-year-old. Also, the Right to Education (RTE) Act says a six-year-old should be ideally be admitted in Class I. That is why we are giving more weightage to four plus children in our school. When the child reaches Class I, he or she will be six.”

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There are 180 seats in the school, of which 100 are for the general category. The date of issuance of forms in the school is January 7 to 14.

Candidates at the two branches of The Heritage School in Rohini and Vasant Kunj will similarly get points depending on their age. Here, children aged between three and four years will be at an advantage, who will be given 25 out of a total of 100 points. According to the school website, children aged between four and five will get 15, and those aged above five years will get 10 points. The total number of seats at The Heritage School in Vasant Kunj is 72 — 40 are for the general category. In the school’s Rohini branch, there are 140 seats in total and 77 are for the general category.

NGO Social Jurist had last month challenged the Delhi governnent’s decision to have three plus as the age of admission in a school. The RTE Act stipulates that children in Class I should be aged six, while a child aged three plus admitted in nursery will be only five when he/she reaches Class I. The hearing in the case is scheduled for January 11.

Sumit Vohra, founder of www.admissionsnursery.com, said, “This (admitting older children) will disturb the applecart. How can a three-year-old compete with a five-year-old? The only advantage here is that four-year-olds will get admission.”

Experts believe four plus is an ideal age to start formal schooling. Dr Jitendra Nagpal, consultant psychiatrist said, “Parents usually begin pushing the child to start schooling at the age of three, but it mars the social and emotional development of the child.”

Income a factor?
Maharaja Agrasen Model School in Pitampura and Shrijan School in Model Town are asking for the parents’ income in the application form.