Nursery point system set for rehaul on new directive

Parents on the hunt for nursery seats will no longer have to grapple with ambiguous parameters such as "noble cause" while negotiating the points system or the different upper age limits fixed by different schools. Heeding complaints on the ongoing admissions, the directorate of education has issued a seven-point directive to private, unaided schools in the capital, warning that any violation "will be viewed seriously and strict action against school management will be taken".

The directives, issued late Saturday night, are likely to put many schools in a spot as they will not only have to revise their admission criteria — which includes overhauling the point system — but also the eligibility conditions.

The DoE reiterated that it had only "defined the minimum age for admission" and the issue of uniform upper age limit was under deliberation. One school had dropped the age ceiling after a parent took it to court. Other schools said they would reconsider the issue only if the DoE cleared the air.

Issuing point-wise clarifications against grievances cited by parents, the DoE said schools could not force parents to buy the prospectus or charge processing fee, except the Rs 25 admission registration fee.

The directives also took cognizance of a complaint by activists, including the Social Jurist lawyers, that "schools are following separate admission process for their main school and montessori/ pre-school". The DoE said schools would "have to follow single admission process for their pre-school and main school considering them as one institution."

The DoE also said schools should not go by "unreasonable parameters" such as "noble cause" and "representative affirmative action" as they were not well defined. The number of seats at entry level "shall not be less than the highest number of seats in the entry class during the previous three years".

There were complaints against some schools that were refusing forms of EWS category applicants as they lived more than a kilometre away from the school. For such complainants, a circular clarified that no school could refuse to accept forms from all applicants under EWS and disadvantaged group, "irrespective of distance of residence from schools".

Some issues, however, remain. With just two days - Monday and Tuesday - left for the registration process, activists are hoping that the period will be extended.