Govt pushes for doorstep delivery of admissions
NEW DELHI: To reduce difficulties faced by parents in getting admission for their wards in entry-level classes, the Delhi government will soon start “doorstep delivery” of admission services in schools run by it.
The scheme, which will be launched on a pilot basis, will focus on students who have already been selected through the lottery system but may not be familiar with the admission procedure.
Education minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday wrote to education secretary Sandeep Kumar, stating that under Section 8 (a) of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education, 2009, it’s the obligation of the government to “ensure and monitor admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by every child”.
“Being a responsible government, we should pilot an innovation in few schools (to be replicated in all schools, if successful) which is akin to “doorstep delivery” of service to the child seeking admission in Delhi government schools,” he said in the official communication, a copy of which is with HT.
The Delhi government in September last year launched doorstep delivery of public services such as issuance of driving licence, domicile and income certificates, new water and sewerage connection and marriage registration.
To extend this scheme to school admissions also, Sisodia said that the government will launch a pilot project in 15 to 20 government schools first. He said members of school management committees (SMCS) may be assigned the function to reach out to children who have been offered admission through draw of lots.
“The SMC members shall visit the homes of children offered admission within 10 days of draw of lots. They will meet the parents in person at the address given in the application form, collect supporting documents, give a receipt along with a welcome kit containing a letter to the parent and expectations from them as parent
on behalf of the government,” he said in the communication.
The SMC members will submit the documents collected from the parents with the heads of schools the next day, and get the admission confirmed.
The government schools in the city hold draw of lots for children seeking admission in entry level classes—nursery, kindergarten (KG) and Class 1.
There are 356 government schools in the city offering nursery admissions, more than 400 schools offering KG admissions and around 680 schools offering admissions to Class 1. Rest of the schools offer admission in Class 6 onwards.
Sisodia said that being a “resident of Delhi” will be one of the eligibility condition for seeking admission in the schools run by the state government. “We cannot be expected to provide quality education to the residents of
adjoining states as well, especially when the neighbouring states are doing nothing to improve their government schools. Thus, allowing admission to the children from these states will lead to further responsibility and burden,” he said in the communication.
AK Jha, principal of Sarvodaya Co-ed Vidyalaya in Rohini, said, “The move will help the head of schools to enrol students who don’t turn up for admissions even after being selected in draw of lots. It will also help the schools to verify the documents of children properly,” he said.
Khagesh Jha, a high court lawyer who works in the field of education, said, “It’s a good step to involve SMCS in admission process because it’s already mandated by the right to education (RTE) act. The SMC can help smoothening the process,” he said.