Forms already on sale in select Delhi schools

Have nursery admissions started in schools in Delhi? Yes, if one were to go by what Doon Public School in Paschim Vihar (West Delhi) is doing, reports Ritika Chopra.

Have nursery admissions started in schools in Delhi? Yes, if one were to go by what Doon Public School in Paschim Vihar (West Delhi) is doing.

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The institution has already begun selling forms, and hopes to wrap up the procedure by September 20.

What this means for parents is that despite the state government wanting schools to follow a common calendar for admissions, the procedure may take longer than expected.

It also defeats the purpose of making the process as convenient to parents as possible. The parents will now find themselves running from pillar to post over three months instead of just two weeks.

According to nursery admission guidelines issued by the education department last year, private schools are advised to distribute registration forms between December 15 and December 30.

Mount Carmel School, Anand Niketan, for instance, has decided to kickstart the process in the first week of November.

Doctor Neena Williams, in-charge of admissions at Mount Carmel, said, “The managing committee has decided we should start distributing forms from the first week of November. We will soon upload the information on our website.”

Doon Public School, on the other hand, is trying hard to be discreet. The school manager Sharad Chandran denied the school had started selling forms. However, Jacob Sabu, the school's administrator, offered a different version when this reporter approached him over the phone posing as a parent.

“September 15 is our last date and the results will be out by September 20. Forms are available in the school premises till September 14 from 8 a.m. to noon,” he said.

Parents obviously are not pleased. “It’s plain competition that drives schools to follow different dates for admission. And parents, especially working couples, are at the receiving end of it all. Nursery admissions demand a lot of time and effort,” said Sumit Vohra who runs admissionsnursery.com, a website that helps parents gearing up for the nursery admission grind. But such institutions may not face any action on behalf of the education department.

“If the school wants to follow a different schedule it needs to inform us. It is advised they follow the December schedule but we can't stop them from distributing forms before if they want. The Supreme Court has recognised the school’s autonomy in this aspect and we have to respect that,” said Director, education, Chandra Bhushan Kumar.