No lottery system for nursery admissions: Sheila

The Right to Education Act,which is to be implemented in Delhi from the next academic session,requires schools to select nursery students randomly in a bid to provide equal opportunity to students from any socio-economic background.

At present,schools follow a point-based system under which applicants are selected by awarding them points on various parameters — a process schools insist should be continued.

Dikshit said: “They (schools) say we should have the point system. We want to know what they mean by point-based. We have asked them to come to us with suggestions tomorrow (Friday) so that we can arrive at a consensus.”

Broad parameters of a desirable admission system were discussed in the meeting on Thursday where school representatives submitted several suggestions,Dikshit said.

“But one thing is clear,25 per cent seats will be reserved for students from the economically weaker section. Regarding the management quota,we have asked them (schools) to give us suggestions,” Dikshit said.

Education Arvinder Singh Lovely,who attended the meeting,told Newsline nothing was finalised and a decision may be taken by Monday. “Whatever we decide will be child-friendly and at the same time within the parameters of the Right to Education Act,” Lovely said.

Representatives of schools who lobbied for the point system during the meeting seemed upbeat. R C Jain,president of the Delhi State Public School Management Association,said,“Schools have been given the autonomy to choose their own criteria. It was unanimously decided that the lottery system shall not be followed.”

The Right to Education Act that was implemented this April bans any kind of screening of the child or parents at the time of admission to a school. Unaided recognised private schools that began the admission process in November say the government has not yet clarified what system is to be followed this year.

Meanwhile,parents seemed happy to know the government is still actively considering the option of a point system. Nupur Awasthi of Karol Bagh,who has a three-year-old child,said,“I am worried about the lottery system. The point system will help me select schools where I am sure I will be able to collect more points.”