Nursery classes to get separate campus

Soon, nursery and formal schools in Delhi may no longer share a common campus. The minimum age for enrollment in Class I will also be raised from five to six years, reports HT Correspondent.

Soon, nursery and formal schools in Delhi may no longer share a common campus. The minimum age for enrollment in Class I will also be raised from five to six years.

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These were among the proposals agreed upon at a meeting between Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal and principals of a large number of Delhi schools, along with Central Board for Secondary Education chairman Vineet Joshi.

Sibal promised to take up the suggestions with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and ensure the required changes in the Delhi Education Act.

“We have agreed that all pre-schools should be standardized through a regulatory framework,” said Sibal. “Such schools will exist outside the formal schooling system.”

This is part of Sibal’s agenda to lower stress among school students.

While the new age criteria is likely to be introduced from the next academic session — admission into pre-school at age three, Class I at age six — separating nursery/kindergarten schools from regular ones may take time, the principals felt.

“We have to work at creating separate pre-schools, and ensuring that the curriculum is child-friendly,” said Ameeta M. Wattal, principal of Springdales School, Pusa Road.