Parents try to master nursery math: Keep eye on points, apply in multiple schools

Schools across Delhi opened the sale of nursery admission forms on the first day of the new year, with parents looking at all combinations to ensure that their child's first step towards education is a successful one.

But the usual long queues seen outside schools were missing on Tuesday as most schools have put the application forms online. The crowd is expected to return for submission of forms.

To guarantee their child a seat in nursery classes, most parents are applying to multiple schools. As most schools give maximum weightage to the neighbourhood criterion, most parents are applying in at least 10 schools in their neighbourhood.

Delhi Public School, RK Puram, has allotted a maximum 27 points to neighbourhood criterion and Mother's International had given 40 points under the category. Springdales, Pusa Road, and Sanskriti schools are awarding 25 points for neighbourhood.

Also, with the debate on the upper age limit laid to rest for the current session, parents who could not secure a seat for their children last year are taking another shot this year.

"I have no option but to apply in as many schools as possible because of the slim chance of admission in the top schools," said Shilpika Srivastava, who was in queue outside Tagore International School, Kailash Colony.

Almost all parents said they spent the last month waiting for schools to release details of their point system so that they could "plan and divide their time between schools".

"I took sick leave from office just so I could apply in all the schools. Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible as school hours coincide with work hours for me," a parent outside Springdales School, Pusa Road, said.

Another parent, Deepak Negi, said he and his wife spent the past 10 days planning how to share time while applying in different schools. "We both took leave from work, so we could go to different schools. We do not want to wait for the rush to start," he said.

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