New academic session on but govt yet to initiate entry-level EWS/DG admissions

Every year, at least two lists of selected candidates under the EWS/DG category is released by the Directorate of Education (DoE) before the commencement of the academic session.

The admission process for general category children on 75% seats in entry-level classes — nursery, kindergarten (KG), and class 1 — in private schools concluded on March 31, and most schools have started classes from April 1. But the government is yet to announce the schedule for a separate admission process it conducts for 25% seats reserved under EWS/DG categories, as per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to these classes in private schools.

Officials at the DoE said that the process this year got delayed due to the prevailing pandemic. (HT File)

Kamal Singh, who works at a garment shop in Laxmi Nagar, east Delhi is worried about the admission of his five-year-old son. Singh, who hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi district, said that he had come to Delhi three years ago just to ensure good education for his son. “I had heard about EWS admission from my elder brother, whose two kids are enrolled in a private school. I also want my son to study in a good school like them. We had moved to Delhi immediately after his birth. This year he is eligible for nursery admission and we are still waiting for the process to begin. Online classes have already begun for other children in many schools. I don’t know how my son will catch up,” he said.

Every year, at least two lists of selected candidates under the EWS/DG category is released by the Directorate of Education (DoE) before the commencement of the academic session. This year, the application process for the general category was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Another parent, Anil Kumar, a labourer at Molarband extension in Badarpur, said he is seeking admission under the EWS category for his sons, aged 5 and 6. “I have never been to a school. But I want both my sons to get a good education. We went to schools near our home but were told that the admission process has not even started for EWS students. I don’t know why the government is delaying the admission process for poor children. Who will make up for their loss?” he asked.

Officials at the DoE said that the process this year got delayed due to the prevailing pandemic. “The directorate has already sought information about the number of available EWS/DG seats from all private schools. We are waiting for the situation to normalise before issuing the admission notification. We will try to speed up the process to minimise academic loss of students,” an official said.

A senior official from the Delhi government’s education department added, “The government will surely conduct admission on the reserved category seats. Parents should not be worried. The department is working on some final modalities.”

Ekramul Haque of Mission Taleem, an organisation working with EWS children in Delhi, said, “Even if the government starts the admission process from this week, the application process will continue till May. Another one month will go for completing the admission, and then the summer vacations will begin. It means these students will join classes, offline or online, only in July. By that time, general category students would have covered a big part of the syllabus. This will put children, who are already from the marginalised section, at a disadvantaged position.”