Schools of thought continue to differ

Education Ministry to keep check till last day of filing forms

Schools of thought continue to differ

Education Ministry to keep check till last day of filing forms

The admission saga seems to be getting murkier as the Education Ministry has now received complaints against four Delhi schools that are alleged to be violating certain provisions of RTE (Right to Free and Compulsory Education) Act. The schools have been accused of framing the criteria for admissions in a way which parents say is totally discriminating.

Going by the book: A kid with the prospectus of a north Delhi school
as the nursery admissions process continues in the Capital.
Pic/Subhash Barolia

Though schools are entitled to frame the criteria as per their convenience keeping government guidelines in mind, parents say that schools like DPS Rohini, DPS Vasant Kunj, Bal Bhawan and St Mark School, Vikaspuri have made profession of parentsu00a0 one of the important points in the criteria which is a clear case of bias. The schools have graded the point system in such a way that people of selective professions are given more weightage than the others. While DPS is allotting more points to parents who are IT professionals, others have a certain income bracket as important category and mention the same in the application form.

When asked, the school seem to have a different story to tell. "We are going according to the fixed guidelines. It is this point system that we have been following since long.

Why is it being made an issue now?" said B Sehgal, vice-principal, DPS, VasantKunj.
The Ministry of Education, Govt of NCT, has decided to take necessary action against these schools. Sources said that deputy directors of different districts will be deployed to keep a tab on the admission activities going on in each of the schools. "So far, the schools have been carrying on with admission criteria to suit their own interests.
u00a0
Even if there are some regulations by the govt, we don't thinku00a0 that the system would change much anywhere," said Rajiv Aggarwal, a Marketing professional, trying to get his four-year-old son to a good school.

You've gotu00a0more time

Acting on the Directorate of Education's circular on Tuesday which asked all unaided recognised schools in Delhi to sell forms for a reasonable period of at least for 15 days, some schools in the city have extended the days for sale of forms now.
Both the branches ofu00a0 Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan and Pusa Road which started the sale of form from Janury3 were slated to sell forms only till January 10 but have now extended it till January 15. The submission dates, which were earlier supposed to be for only till January 15, have now been extended till January 18. Similarly, Tagore International School Vasant Vihar and East of Kailash have also extended saleu00a0 to January 15.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels