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Nursery admissions: Parents unhappy with nursery admission verdict see more court battles ahead, fear arbitrary categories in admission

Nursery admissions: Parents see more court battles ahead

NEW DELHI: Schools say the high court's decision allowing them to decide nursery criteria will benefit everyone concerned; parents aren't so sure. Despite several lacunae in last year's guidelines- points for inter-state transfer and one slab for distance-parents had reacted positively to the attempt to create common guidelines. They had especially welcomed the abolishing of 'management quota' that had freed up more seats for general category applicants.

Their wariness about management quota stems from an abiding notion that schools take donations for those 20% seats. A parent commenting on this on admissionsnursery.com writes, "This judgment is going to generate lots of black money!" Vasant Kunj resident Praveen Sharma, who'll be seeking admission for his daughter this year, said, "I've been told that Delhi schools take money for these seats. Donations will come into the picture again".

School managements are aware of this lack of trust and say they're taking measures to regulate. But parents only see a tough time ahead. "Now this seems to be the kind of verdict which will open the doors for a lot of appeals and PILs. If not anything else, this will confuse... parents as they will now have to go through every school's separate guidelines. But I have a feeling this journey has just got underway and we are still a long way off from this year's final admission guidelines," writes another.

"Instead of quashing, they could've just tweaked the guidelines," said Jyoti Handa, a Tagore Garden resident who'll be applying this year for her daughter, a second child. "There should be some common guidelines and some semblance of control."

"Now that they are free to devise their own points distribution, what is the guarantee that private schools will not misuse that power by assigning points to ridiculous categories like "noble cause", "children of state/ national awardees, civil services, those living on bus routes and those opting for school transport?" said Sumit Vohra who runs admissionsnursery.com, listing some of the more unusual criteria to which schools allotted points before 2013.

These are not all the stran- ge categories-some schools allotted points to those who can make own arrangement for transport, to "promotion of Indian heritage" and "inspirational work for the nation". Disabled children are likely to benefit though HC previously directed schools to create a separate quota for them.

"The main sufferer is the first child, as very few schools give points. Again, sibling and alumni will get seats in established schools. Unless schools take a lesson from last year and understand parents' plight, there is no end to this problem," added Vohra.

The Hindu - Parents unhappy with nursery admission verdict

The Hindu Schools have been asked to follow the recommendations of the 2007 Ganguly Committee. Photo: Monica Tiwari

Private unaided schools can evolve their own norms for nursery admissions

With the Delhi High Court on Friday giving “maximum autonomy” to private unaided schools here for evolving their own norms for nursery admissions, parents are “worried” about schools misusing their authority. The schools have, however, been asked to follow the recommendations of the 2007 Ganguly Committee.

Arpit Arya, a parent, said: “Parents will now have to book seats in new-age private schools and pay whatever fee is demanded. Otherwise they might end up like me. Last year, my child failed to get a confirmed seat in any of the good schools.”

Anuradha Sharma, an advocate and mother of a three-year-old, said: “Now our little ones will now be subjected to the pressure of interviews, while parents will be forced to get hold of some source to ensure the child gets admitted.”

A Delhiite who has applied for his child’s admission this year said: “Each school has now been given complete freedom to formulate its own set of rules. A parent’s duty now is to wait for each and every school to decide the dates and the criteria. Every seat will now be awarded at the sole discretion of the school management.”

Suresh Kumar Shukla who struggled for his daughter’s admission last year added: “This will confuse parents as they will now have to go through every school’s guidelines.”

Sumit Vohra, an activist who runs a nursery admission website, said: “As per the order, the private unaided schools are constitutionally protected and empowered to govern their institutions. Now that private schools are free to devise their own methods, what is the guarantee that they will not be misusing their power by giving points such as parent working for any noble cause, children of State/national awardees, Defence and Navy services, Civil Services, vegetarians, etc.”

AAP bats for appeal

Staff Reporter adds:

Expressing fears that the verdict could mean the return of the practice of schools demanding donations, the Aam Aadmi Party demanded that the Delhi Administration should challenge the verdict in Supreme Court.

“In case private schools are finally allowed to frame their own guidelines, the process of admission will be vulnerable to manipulations based on extraneous considerations. ”

The AAP said even though some of the guidelines issued by the L-G last year were debatable, but removing them altogether will encourage the interference of private managements, politicians and other lobbies in nursery admissions.

29 Nov 201 Hindustan Times (Delhi)-Schools happy, will set guidelines to check misuse of freedom, maintain transparency
Sumit Vohra, founder, admissionnursery.com, a popular forum for parents said What is the guarantee that schools won’t misuse their power? Unless schools take a lesson from last year and understand the parents’ plight, there is no end to this problem. It is high time schools change their thought process and don’t misuse the power given to them,”

AS PRIVATE SCHOOLS WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THE POLICIES WE FOLLOW. THERE IS A TRUST DEFICIT FROM THE PARENTS’ SIDE AND WE NEED TO BRIDGE THAT. THERE AREN’T ENOUGH GOOD SCHOOLS, HENCE THE PRESSURE. AMEETA WATTAL, principal, Springdales School, Pusa Road

NEW DELHI: They may have got a free hand in setting the admission criteria for nursery classes, but schools have decided to ensure no one abuses this freedom.
RAJ K RAJ/HT FILE PHOTO The guidelines are expected to be about the basic parameters and are likely to include a few dos and don’ts.

The Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools, an umbrella body that encompasses a number of other school bodies, plans to prepare a set of guidelines for all schools.

“This is a landmark judgment and it has given us our freedom and autonomy back. The fight was about our autonomy more than anything else. We, however, have to ensure that every school uses this freedom judiciously and maintains transparency and reasonability when it comes to setting the points system. We’ll sit and prepare a guideline for all schools soon,” said SK Bhattacharya, president, action committee.

The guidelines are expected to be about the basic parameters and are likely to include a few dos and don’ts. Others agree. “As private schools we have to be very careful about the policies we follow. There is a trust deficit from the parents’ side and we need to bridge that. There aren’t enough good quality schools and hence, the pressure. But we should have a system in place where we can respond adequately,” said Ameeta Wattal, principal, Springdales School, Pusa Road.

Wattal said last year’s guidelines caused panic, unrest and anxiety that was not seen earlier.

“Delhi is not ready for neighbourhood schools yet and that’s why a large section of parents were opposed to the guidelines. There are many areas where there aren’t any good schools,” she said.

“I think it is important that the government start thinking about starting schools from nursery instead of class 1. The minimum age for admission in schools is three and the government needs to start nursery in schools. An entire segment of people are left out without a choice because government schools don’t have more primary classes,” she said.

Not just schools, a large number of parents have also welcomed the verdict.

“The verdict comes at a very crucial time for my son. We live in an area where there aren’t any good schools within the 8-kilometre radius and I thought we would have to shift houses in case the same policy continued,” said Parmeet Kaur, who lives in Sarita Vihar. There are also some apprehensions.

29 Nov 2014 Hindustan Times (Delhi)

After court order, parents fear arbitrary categories in admission

“There are a large number of schools that give points to children of parents who work in defence services despite the government making it very clear that the parents’ educational or professional backgrounds cannot be used to award points to a child,” said Sumit Vohra, founder, admissionsnursery.com, a forum for parents where a number of complaints are aired each year.

NEW DELHI: Schools in the city may be rejoicing after the high court verdict but parents are worried about schools announcing arbitrary criteria for admissions.

In the past, schools have given points to children who, along with their parents, are vegetarians. The Mahavir Senior Model School also gave points to children of teetotallers, effectively punishing children for the habits of their parents.

Mother’s International School, in 2012, said that parents need to provide proof of ownership of house to get admission, ruling out all parents who live in rented or government accommodation. The school later withdrew the condition.

Another school used to give points to children if they knew any language other than Hindi and Punjabi.

A large number of schools add ambiguous categories such as parents involved in ‘noble work’ or service to the society. What the two terms may or may not encompass is left open to interpretation.

“Despite there being a very small level of control in the points system according to the 2007 guidelines, schools set criteria that are illegal. Giving children admission based on their parents’ achievements or lack thereof is unacceptable,” said Khagesh Jha, member, Social Jurist, an NGO.

India Today -Delhi High Court quashes nursery admission guidelines issued by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung last year

The Delhi High Court on Friday quashed the point system of nursery admissions that was devised by L-G Najeeb Jung last year. The Delhi High Court on Friday quashed the point system of nursery admissions that was devised by L-G Najeeb Jung last year.In a relief to parents and private unaided schools, the Delhi High Court on Friday quashed the nursery admission guidelines issued by the Lieutenant Governor last year, and upheld the Ganguly Committee recommendations that allow schools to set their own guidelines.

Observing that the decision to impose admission guidelines was neither procedurally proper nor rational, Justice Manmohan said private unaided schools have the "fundamental right to maximum autonomy in day-to-day administration", including the right to admit students.

"Consequently, the impugned office orders being violative of the fundamental rights of the school management to maximum autonomy in administration as well as the fundamental right of children through their parents to choose a school... are quashed quo private unaided schools with regard to 75 per cent general category nursery seats," Justice Manmohan said in his 69-page judgment.

While disposing petitions by a committee and a forum representing private schools and parents challenging the L-G's December 18 and 27 notifications, the court said children cannot be restricted to schools in their locality and should have the option to go to a school in another locality. "This court is unable to appreciate that a student's educational fate can be relegated to his position on a map," Justice Manmohan said.

The court said that the power to choose a school has to primarily remain with the parents and not with the administration (government).

"In fact, the impugned office orders fail to consider the vitality as well as the quality of schools and the specific needs of individual families and students. School choice gives families the freedom to choose any school that meets their needs, regardless of its location," it said.

The judge also observed that the main cause of nursery admission chaos is due to lack of good public schools. "Till quality of all public schools is improved, disparity between demand and supply will remain. This court is of the view that no office order, policy, notification or formula can resolve this disparity," the judge said.

Observing that accountability can be ensured by giving the schools the administrative autonomy, the court said that, in the present case, there was no material on record to show that the private unaided schools indulged in any malpractices or were misusing their right to admit students under the earlier 2007 notification.

Under the L-G's system, out of a total 100 points, 70 were given for living within eight kilometres of the school; 20 for siblings in the same school; and five if either parent was an alumnus of the school. A draw of lots was held at each point level to admit candidates.

The Directorate of Education will appeal against the verdict.

Parents & schools haiL Delhi High Court verdict

Parents and schools have finally something to cheer about with the high court upholding the autonomy of recognised private unaided schools and the right of parents to choose the school for their child.

Calling it a landmark judgment, school authorities said they can now, once again, fix admission criteria as per their choice, which will also give parents more options to pick from.

"I am happy that we are going back to following the Ganguly Committee guidelines as that system worked very well for everyone. Schools were given freedom to formulate their own guidelines. Before DoE guidelines, we used to have points for armed forces, compassionate grounds, et cetera," said head of senior school, Vasan end to the uncertainty over nursery admission guidelines. "We have been anxious.

Now, schools can decide their guidelines and, maybe, announce them soon. Now I can send my child to a better school even if it is in a different locality," said Kajal, who has a three-year-old daughter.

However, there were some who expressed concern over the implications of the verdict. "It is good for schools. However, I think the first child might have to suffer as most schools give points for sibling and alumni. The free hand given to them can be misused by many schools.

Unless schools take lesson from last year and understand parents' plight, there is no end to this problem," said Sumit Vohra, founder admissionsnursery.com.

- By Heena Kausar/New Delhi

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Permalink Reply by Suresh Kumar Shukla on November 29, 2014 at 1:19pm

Last year many people were slamming AAP for the admissions' mess. But atleast those guidelines seemed a step in the right direction. Some of those guidelines were debated but no one said that there should not be common guidelines. Now with this new judgment Donation system seems to be back. Happy shopping for parents who can afford it.