Nursery admissions: Delhi govt schools to start pre-primary classes

To decrease the difficulties in the nursery admission process, the Delhi government has decided to start nursery and pre-primary classes at its 450 Sarvodaya schools. The first phase, including 150 schools, will be implemented from the upcoming academic session in April.

Soon nursery and pre-primary classes will be introduced in close to 450 Delhi government schools.

Parents stand in a queue before a school to apply for nursery admissions in Delhi. (Mohd Zakir/HT Photo)

The government is planning to introduce these classes in all 447 Sarvodaya schools under the Directorate of Education. The government plans to start these classes in phases with 150 schools from the upcoming academic session in April.

Nursery admissions in the national capital have always been a struggle with the only option for parents being the private schools.

“There are 447 Sarvodaya schools under the Directorate of Education (DOE), out of which KG (pre-primary) class is being run in 404 schools. The department proposes to introduce nursery class in these schools and start KG class in the schools where the same is not at present run,” read a DOE statement.

Officials said that by 2018 academic session, all 447 schools will have nursery and pre-primary classes. “We should be able to introduce nursery and pre-primary classes in all Sarvodaya schools by next year,” it read.

Saumya Gupta, director DOE, has issued directions to the officials to identify schools where these classes can be started and has asked them to give specific reasons for those schools where these classes are not recommended to start.

“The Planning Branch to process file for increasing the norms of financial grant given for starting pre-primary classes from the present Rs 1 lakh to a practical amount commensurate with actual requirements.

“Duties and responsibilities of both the teachers of each Nursery and KG class should be clearly prescribed to ensure proper utilisation of the teaching staff,” it added.

DOE has directed that the proper functioning of primary sections should be monitored and an in-charge should be designated with clearly defined duties and responsibilities.