Admissions to nursery, K.G., class 1 begin in Delhi

DoE has fixed an upper age limit of 4, 5, and 6, as of March 31, 2023, for admission to nursery, kindergarten and Class 1.

New Delhi: The registration process for admission to entry-level classes — nursery, kindergarten and Class 1 — for the 2023-24 academic year in private schools across the national capital began on Thursday with parents contacting schools for both physical and online forms.

According to the admission schedule issued by the DoE, the last date for submission of forms is December 23. (HT Archive)

The Directorate of Education (DoE) has made it mandatory for schools to charge only ₹25 for the application form and have made it optional for parents to purchase the school prospectus.

According to the admission schedule issued by the DoE, the last date for submission of forms is December 23. The school websites will upload the first list of selected candidates on January 20, a second list on February 6, and, if required, a subsequent list on March 1. The admission process will conclude on March 17.

According to the admission norms, DoE has fixed an upper age limit of 4, 5, and 6, as of March 31, 2023, for admission to nursery, kindergarten and Class 1. The minimum age for admission to these classes is 3, 4, and 5 years as of March 31, 2023, respectively.

Sudha Acharya, chairperson of the National Progressive School Conference and the principal of ITL School, Dwarka, said that the institute is providing parents with forms on the school campus as well as online . “Several parents came to the school today (Thursday) to collect the admission form. However, more parents are buying the forms online. We have been receiving some basic queries and are addressing them. We are also calling parents and informing them if some documents are missing,” said Acharya.

While most schools’ eligibility criteria prioritised neighbourhood (living distance from school), siblings (studying in the same school) and alumni (parents who studied at the same school), some have also prioritised the criterion of the applicant being the first child. Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School in Rohini, said that the school had uploaded its criteria on its website and had allocated 85 points for applicants living within a distance of 6km around the school. “Mostly, parents are applying online. We have a helpdesk to address queries so parents don’t face major issues,” said Arora.

Ekramul Haque, founder of Mission Taaleem, an organisation that works to provide children who belong to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) with school education, said they were waiting for the schedule for EWS admission. “Every year, the DoE starts the admission process for open seats first, and then EWS seats. The window for both categories should open simultaneously. We have made this suggestion to DoE multiple times. Starting the process for EWS early would ensure that the academic session for selected students is not delayed,” said Haque.