Nursery admissions to open from December 27: All details here
What's the story
The Directorate of Education (DoE) has ordered that nursery admissions in 1,700 schools of Delhi will begin from December 27 for 75% of the seats.
Admissions for the remaining 25%, reserved for the economically weaker section/disadvantaged (EWS/DG) category, will be centrally conducted by the government.
Schools have been asked to upload their criteria list by December 26. Here's all you need to know.
Facts
Important dates and age requirements
Forms will be available at schools and online during December 27-January 17; the last date for submission is January 17.
Schools will have to submit points scored by students to the DoE by February 8. The first list will be out on February 15.
For nursery, children aged 3-4 are eligible; for KG, those aged 4-5, and for Class 1, kids aged 5-6.
Criteria
A point-based system to judge merit
Nursery admissions take place through a point system, wherein a child is awarded points out of 100 based on different criteria like neighborhood (within 0-3km radius of school), siblings enrolled in the same school, etc.
Schools are free to select their own criteria.
However, they can't use any of 62 "discriminatory criteria" like first-born, parents' education, status of child and non-smoker parent, among others.
Information
Ensuring transparency through draw of lots
Names of the final selected students will be picked from the ones shortlisted based on points. There will be a draw of lots. By rule, parents have to be present during the lottery. Results have to be recorded for future reference.
Scam
Massive rackets operating on nursery admissions
Massive rackets revolving around nursery admissions in Delhi have come to light. Touts and sometimes the school themselves have been found selling seats to the highest bidders under 'management quota'.
The government then decided to intervene to make the process transparent and corruption-free.
Presently, the HC is hearing a petition by schools against the government, which had notified neighborhood as the only applicable criteria.