Battle for berths in cradle
NEW DELHI: The four-month admission process for the pre-primary classes in the national capital kicked off on November 28, 2024, with the opening of the registration process of individual private unaided schools in the city. However the registration process came to an end on December 20. There are more than 1.25 lakh seats available for nursery admission in around 1741 private schools in Delhi for which the parents have applied.
Reportedly, this year the schools have received much higher registrations as compared to last year.
Meanwhile, the schools have already started calling up parents for various enquiries, donations, booking a seat etc.
Sumit Vohra, founder of the nurseryadmissions.com portal, said, “Despite the fact that the Delhi government had issued a notification saying that no deviation from the slated schedule shall be permitted and each school shall display the aforesaid admission schedule on its notice board and website, some schools are going ahead calling up parents and asking them to book the seats in advance and deposit the fees. This is absolutely wrong.”
He further added, “Not only for booking a seat but some schools are reportedly asking for donations. They are deliberately confusing the parents’ fraternity. We request the parents not to fall into their trap and wait for the first admission list to be out on January 17. We are trying to help parents and clarify their doubts.”
As per the schedule, the list of children who have applied will be released by January 3, 2025, while the allotted points will be uploaded by January 10 and the first list of selected students will be out on January 17. The list-related issues will be resolved between January 18 and 27 and the second list of selected students will be released on February 2, and the issues in the second list will be resolved between February 5 and February 11. Also, as per the schedule, the subsequent list of admissions will be out on February 26, while the admission process will close on March 14, 2025.
Selection and waiting list
Once the application process is complete, the schools will review the applications and make their selections. Parents will be notified of the outcome of their application, and those who are successful will be required to pay a deposit and complete any other necessary paperwork.
For those who are not successful in getting a place, their names will usually be placed on a waiting list. The length of the waiting list and the likelihood of securing admission will depend on the specific school and the number of applicants.
However, if the parents are not happy with the outcome of the application, they can appeal the decision. This usually involves writing to the school and explaining why they believe that the decision was incorrect or unfair. The school will then review the case and make a decision on the appeal.
Point system admission
The competition this year remains the same and children will get admission on a point system basis. The private schools have set 100-point criteria for admission to nursery classes. These pointers include: children within 8 km; siblings/first-born quota; siblings of children currently studying in the particular school; siblings of children passed out from the same branch; wards of staff; girl child; alumni and linguistic inclusion. Meanwhile, the convent schools give preference to Christian students.
However, going by the notification issued by the Directorate of Education, Delhi government in 2016, all the private unaided schools concerned were directed to remove certain admission criteria and replace them with requirements which shall be fair, reasonable and transparent. At least 38 such admission points were blacklisted by the education department.
Blacklisted Criteria
Special ground (parents with proficiency in music, sports, national awardee etc); transferable jobs/state transfers/IST; first born (This criterion shall lead to discrimination for the parents desirous to seek admission of their ward that is not first born); parents’ education; school transport; parents working in the sister-concern school; both parents are working; status of the child; special ground if the candidate is having proficiency in music and sports; mother’s qualification; non-smoker parent; empirical achievements of the parent; first-time admission seekers; first come-first get; gender; oral test; interview were some of the points that the government had directed the schools to remove from the admission criteria list.
However, some of the parents who filled out the admission forms recently shared that almost all schools have asked for parents’ educational qualifications and if the parents are working. The schools also demanded to know if the ward is a first-born, the parents claimed.
One of the parents, Neha Mathur from Mayur Vihar Phase II, said, “I managed to fill at least 25 admission forms and out of the 25, at least 20 of them asked about the education of the parents, if we are working and if yes then where and also about if our ward is first-born or a girl child etc. For most of us, filling the admission forms must be easy but for the parents who may not be qualified enough, it will be difficult for them to fill the forms.”
She also added, “Despite the fact the government notification said the parents need not visit the school to submit the forms, the schools are calling up parents asking to submit the forms in the schools in the slotted time period in order to get the registration number. The schools are calling the parents unnecessarily. It is a sheer wastage of time. Also, some schools even asked for report cards of the playschools their ward had studied.”
Similarly, another parent, Huma Ali said, “The nursery admissions are no less than a nightmare. It is not like the big exams in India where you fill out the form, take the exam and the result is out. These nursery admissions go on for four months and till the time your ward’s name is not on the final list of the desired school, you can’t rest. (There are) endless forms, so many lists to be declared, so many waiting lists, so many criteria etc. The nursery admissions should also be made centralised.”
Fee structures are worrisome!
During the admission season, the whole discussion on WhatsApp groups of parents these days is about the fee structures of several schools, which are charging as high as Rs 17,000 per month. Yes, Rs 17,000 per month for a nursery admission, which doesn’t even include the transportation fee, which varies between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000 depending on the distance between the school and the home.
Parents can be seen complaining about the exorbitant fees being charged by some schools, while some parents feel the school expenses are justified if top-class amenities the schools are being offered for their children.
Some of the top schools in the city, as mentioned by the educational portal uniapply.com, include Cambridge World School, Janakpuri, which charges Rs 4,200 per month; Doon Public School in Paschim Vihar charges Rs 7,900 per month; Mother’s Pride in Punjabi Bagh charges about Rs 11,000 per month, while Mother’s Pride in Pitampura charges about Rs 13,000, while Mother’s Pride in Dwarka charges Rs 17,000 per month.
Similarly, GD Goenka Public School in Patel Nagar charges Rs 9,200 per month; Queen Global International School charges Rs 8,900 per month; Indian Heritage World School in Laxmi Nagar charges a monthly fee of Rs 6200 and Shadley’s Buzz World Pre School in Rajouri Garden charges approximately Rs 6,600 per month.
EWS admission
All private unaided recognised schools admitting children in pre-school, pre-primary and/or Class-1 level shall reserve 25% seats for EWS/DG category students Education Act, & Child with Disability as defined in RPWD Act, 2016 at entry Level Classes, wherever fresh admission are made as directed by the High Court of Delhi vide order date 24/05/2012. Further, all schools shall comply with the notification dated February 28, 2012, which directs that the number of seats at the entry level(s) shall not be less than the highest number of seats in Entry level classes during the last three years, i.e. 2021-22,2022-23&2023-2024 unless exempted/specified by the Competent Authority.
The details of all entry level asses (i.e. Nursery/KG/1st ) along with the seats available for admission must be declared by all schools in the module on the directorate’s website as well as on their notice board/website and the school concerned shall be furnished to the DDE by December end and the DDE (District) will compare the seats online.
NEP for primary classes
“India’s education system is witnessing a significant transformation with the implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP) introduced in 2020. Among the reforms is the revision of the age criterion for admission to Class 1, which now states that children should be six years old when joining Class 1.
Till date, children were admitted to Grade 1 at the age of five or six, depending on their birth dates; different states across the country, too, had different cut-off dates for enrolment.
However, the NEP now mandates that children must be six years old by a specific cut-off date to be eligible for admission into Class 1. This shift has been introduced to align with global standards and ensure a smoother academic journey for students.
Meanwhile, amid this NEP policy implementation, the schools in Noida have been following the NEP and most schools have segmented the classes into Pre-level 1 (nursery), Pre-level 2 (lower KG) and Pre-level 3 (upper KG). Pre-level 2 is the latest addition owing to the new policy, and thus, the schools admitted students at the age of 3+, 4+ and 5+ to these classes, respectively.
Some of the scrapped admission criteria
Special ground (parents with proficiency in music, sports, national awardee etc)
Transferable jobs/ state transfers/IST
First born - This criterion shall lead to discrimination for the parents desirous to seek admission of his ward that is not first born.
Parents’ education
School transport
Parents working in sister-concern school
Both parents are working
Status of child
Mother’s qualification
Non-smoker parent
Empirical achievements of the parent
First-time admission seekers
First come-first get
Oral test
Interview
Dates to remember
Uploading details of children who applied to the school for admission under open seats- 03.01.2025 Friday
Uploading marks (as per the point system) given to each of the children who applied for admission under open seats (10.01.2025) Friday
The date for displaying the first list of selected children (including waiting list (along with marks allotted under point system)- 17.01.2025 (Friday)
Resolution of queries of parents , if any (by written/email/verbal interaction) regarding allotment of points to their wards for the first list- 18.01.2025- 27.01.2025
The date for displaying the second list of selected children (If any) (including waiting list) (along with marks allotted under points system) 03.02.2025 (Monday)
Resolution of queries of parents, if any (by written/email/verbal interaction) regarding allotment of points to their wards in the second list. - 05.02.2025 to 11.02.2025
Subsequent list of admission, if any- 26.02.2025
Closure of admission process 14.03.2025
When choosing a nursery school in Delhi, consider
Location: Pick a school near your home or work so you don’t have to travel far to drop off or pick up your child
Reputation: Choose a school with a good reputation to ensure your child gets a good education. Check the school website, ask other parents, and read online reviews
Curriculum: Find a school with a curriculum that aligns with your educational priorities and guiding principles. For example, if you want a creative approach to learning, a Montessori or Waldorf-inspired school may be a good choice
Fees: The fees for nursery schools in Delhi vary a lot. Make sure to pick a school that you can afford and check the fee structure and payment terms before deciding.
Nursery admission criteria in schools typically include
Neighbourhood or Proximity to the School: Some schools give priority to children who live closest to the school, as this is seen as a way of promoting diversity and creating a community atmosphere
Sibling: Children who have siblings already enrolled in the school are often given priority in the admission process
Alumni: Children of alumni of the school are often given priority in the admission process
Parents’ Educational and Professional Qualifications: Some schools give priority to children of parents who have high educational or professional qualifications
Income: Some schools consider the income of the parents as a factor in the admission process