The registration process for admission to nursery, KG and grade 1st in private schools for general category students is set to commence on November 23, as per an official announcement from the Directorate of Education. The deadline for submitting admission forms is December 15, with the first list of admitted students scheduled to be published on January 12 of the following year.
Private schools are mandated to reserve 25% of their seats for economically disadvantaged students (EWS), disadvantaged group (DG) students and children with disabilities. A separate list will be issued for these categories. For admission to pre-school (nursery), pre-primary (KG) and grade 1st, the minimum age, as of March 31, should be three-five years, respectively, in accordance with the notification. These classes are considered entry level and the upper age limit for admission is less than four years, less than five years, and less than six years, respectively, as per the official statement.
The notification also mentions the possibility of granting age relaxation for admission within a 30-day window, subject to the discretion of the head of the school, concerning the minimum and upper-age limits for these classes. Following the release of the initial admission list, schools are open to addressing parents’ inquiries from January 13-22. Parents may request age relaxation through a manual application to the head of the school or principal, as specified in the notification. The Directorate of Education (DoE) further directs the formation of a monitoring cell in each district, chaired by the district’s deputy director, the statement mentioned.
The monitoring cells are tasked with overseeing the publication of details of applicants seeking admission under open seats, along with the points allotted to each of them as per the school’s point system. All information regarding admitted children must be uploaded to the DoE website. Schools are required to upload their admission criteria and points on the online module by November 20. In the event of a tie among applicants, a draw of lots will be conducted, either through a computerized system or with physical slips, in the presence of parents. The process will be recorded, and the school will retain the footage. It is clarified that the purchase of a prospectus is not mandatory along with the admission form, and parents can only be charged a registration fee of Rs 25, as per the notification.
Notably, the admission process this year has been announced earlier, offering clarity to both parents and schools for planning the upcoming academic session. This early notification enables schools to adequately prepare for the next session, making necessary modifications or upgrades to infrastructure and resources, according to Bharat Arora, the president of the Unaided Recognized Private Schools Action Committee.
With inputs from PTI.