Budget schools in fix over EWS entry limit
A number of budget private schools in Delhi that were allocated students under the reserved categories in nursery and kindergarten until last year are no longer eligible to admit students to these classes for want of recognition for preprimary classes, said the management of such schools. The problem has put parents from economically weaker sections at a disadvantage as they are now forced to seek admissions for their wards in the general category only.
School heads said several letters and emails to the directorate of education (DOE), seeking a blanket order recognising the pre-primary classes of such schools, have failed to elicit a positive response.
The online registration is currently open for admission to the private schools in the entry-level classes — nursery, kindergarten, and class 1 — under the reserved categories of economically weaker section (EWS), disadvantaged groups (DG), and children with disabilities for the academic year 2022-23.
Most budget schools, which run nursery and KG classes as well, are only being allocated
students in class 1 as they have recognition only from this class.
West Delhi’s Rajdhani Public School is one such school. School manager Umesh Chand Tyagi said the school started nursery and KG following a gazette notification in 2007.
“Earlier, nursery and KG classes were run separately. There was a court order directing that nursery and KG be merged within the same school in 2007 and following directions from the DOE, we started running nursery and KG within the same school... Every year, we take part in the draw of lots for EWS/DG category... but this year, we are only being allowed to take part in the process for class 1,” said Gupta.
He said since most people in the locality were inclined to admit children under the EWS category, the move has left such people at a disadvantage.
Chandrakant Singh, national general secretary of The Private School Public Trust, an association of Delhi’s budget private schools, said he has written to the department multiple times to apprise them of the matter.
A DOE official, asking not to be named, said, “We have told schools that we don’t want to put children from economically weaker backgrounds through any inconvenience. We are neither closing the nursery or KG. Schools are free to approach us for recognition and function as per the norms.”