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The minimum age for nursery admission in the Capital was retained at three-years plus, as the Delhi High court  on Tuesday, threw out a challenge to the admission procedures being followed by city’s private schools. The court has refused to intervene in the process, on the Delhi Government’s assurance that they were complying with its orders regarding setting seperate minimum ages for admission to nursery and pre-primary classes. The Delhi Government on 11^th Jan, reiterated its stand before the Delhi high court stating that it will not consider nursery as part of the formal schooling of a child and the entry age for formal schooling, which starts from KG, is 4+.The guidelines earlier issued by Directorate of Education(DOE), had stated 3 years as the minimum age for admission in class nursery. This minimum age for admission in class nursery remains unchanged.

A contempt petition, which alleged that the authorities had failed to comply with its earlier order fixing four-plus as the entry age of the child in the pre-primary classes. Justice GS Sistani accepted the Government’s stand that the child’s admission in pre-school(nursery classes will not automatically grant him/her the eligibilty to continue in the pre-primary classes, for which the age has been fixed by the court at four years on or before 31^st march of the year in which the admission is being sought. The child will have to separately meet all criteria for admission to the pre-primary classes even if he/ she has studied in the nursery classes of the same school, the Government clarified.

The Government stated in its affidavit that in all Delhi schools, the pre-primary education would be of uniform 1-year duration. It would be the class immediately prior to class 1 and would be known as pre-primary, the affidavit added.

The department also assured the court that it will introduce one year pre-primary in all government schools within three years, which will require additional classrooms and recruitment of teachers. Right now, only 160 of the 375 Sarvodaya Schools have a pre-primary class. In 2007, HC had directed the government to make the duration of pre-primary education one year instead of two years.

The petition filed through counsel Ashok Aggarwal, Social Jurists, said the government has failed to comply with the court’s earlier directions, including Ashok Ganguly committee recommendations, to prohibit schools from taking children below four years or admission in pre-primary class.

The government had assured the court that it will implement the direction from the academic year 2008-2009 but till date it has failed to implement the same, the lawyer said. It was alleged that schools in the city have been admitting children who had turned three and some schools were even taking children who completed two years by violating the norms which fixed completion of four years as the entry age for admission to pre-primary class. The petitioner organization said as per the Education Act, a child needs to complete five years by March 31 of the academic year for admission to Class I. It was also stated schools give admission to children for two years before they get admitted to Class I, which is against the existing statute.

Source- Times of India, dated 12th Jan 2011

There is some air to breath for parents who missed out to find a seat for their toddlers in a good school last year. This year, few good schools in the capital are preferring 4 years old for admission in Class nursery.

Since the DOE has not issued any guidelines regarding the minimum age for Nursery admissions this year, the schools are free to choose it themselves. Although most of the schools have kept 3 years as the age criteria for nursery class admission, there are schools like Ahlcon Public School(in Mayur Vihar) and The Heritage School(in Vasant kunj and Rohini), who are admitting children in the age group of three to five years in their pre-school classes.

The Ahlcon Public school has kept 20 points for children who are aged 4 years but less than five on 31^st march 2011, 15 points and 10 points for children aged less than four years and three-and-a –half years respectively. School Principal  opined, four years is the ideal age to be in a school. The maturity level of a four-year old is also more than three-year old.

The Heritage School on the other hand, has reserved 25 points for children aged between three and four years, 15 points for children aged between four and five years and 10 points for children aged above five years.There are others like Mount Carmel school Dwarka and Anand Niketan, who have kept three-and-a-half years as the minimum age for admission in class nursery.

NGO Social Jurist had last month challenged the Delhi governnent’s decision to have three plus as the age of admission in a school. The RTE Act stipulates that children in Class I should be aged six, while a child aged three plus admitted in nursery will be only five when he/she reaches Class I. The hearing in the case is scheduled for January 11.

(Source- Indian Express)

Parents seeking admissions in schools for their little ones cannot just afford to relax.  Schools in the capital have created yet another problem for these anxious parents. The minimum age criteria for nursery admissions set by the schools at their discretion is creating a lot of trouble and confusion for the parents. The DOE guidelines did not specify the minimum age criteria this year, and this has given the liberty to nursery schools to choose it at their own. While most of the schools have set it to be 3years, schools like DPS International and  Ahlcon Public School have set it to be 4 years. There are others like, Mount Carmel School who have decided to go ahead with 3 years and 6 months as the minimum age.

This kind of scenario is creating a lot of chaos for the parents, as they are expecting that other schools might also change their age criteria all of a sudden. It seems the struggle of these worried parents  would not end till the time their kids finally get admission into the school of their choice

The Action Committee of Unaided Private Recognized schools in the Capital, has proposed to increase the school fees by 40% for session 2011-12. The increase is in lieu of providing education to poor children free of cost. The Government has made 25% reservation for children from Economically Weaker Section (EWS) of society in all the schools under the provision of RTE act.

The Education Minister, Mr. Arvinder Singh Lovely has condemned the proposed school fee hike. He said, it is unethical on the part of the schools to put a financial burden on the parents. He said, for the 25% reserved seats, the schools will be financially aided by the Government. For example, if the fee is Rs 2000, Rs 1100-1200 would be given by the Government to the school. In such a scenario, how can a school hike the fee?

Delhi BJP President Vijender Gupta has also opposed the proposal by the Private schools, saying that Private schools which opened schools on Government Land had acquired this land on concessional rates and on the condition that they would admit 25% poor children in their schools and no school fees will be charged from these children.

Meanwhile, the All India Parents Association (AIPA) held a meeting on 26^th Dec, attended by parent representatives from more than 50 unaided Private schools in Delhi, to discuss various issues, including the School Fee hike proposal by Private schools. The meeting condemned the Proposal, saying it is illegal on part of schools to hike fees on the ground of providing 25% reservation to EWS students. They further asserted, any such action will lead to protest in the form of Demonstrations and Dharnas in front of Delhi Chief Ministers office

VADODARA: In a first of its kind initiative in the state, Vadodara Central Jail authorities have decided to start a creche-cum-playschool for children of the female jail inmates. The school will start from Saturday inside the jail premises and will be inaugurated by MS University vice-chancellor Ramesh Goyal.

“The idea is to provide quality education and environment to children of female inmates. We will provide them with toys, crayons, music CDs, television and writing boards. We will also hire two teachers to impart them education,” said Jayesh Mandaviya, superintendent of Vadodara Central Jail.

“The idea to start such school was floated by IG (prisons) P C Thakur, and he made all efforts to make this project a success. Our jail is the only one in the state that has female prisoners who are serving long term prison,” Mandaviya added.

The central jail at present has 2,268 inmates of which 214 are females. The jail has 32 kids all below the age of six who live with either their mothers or relatives inside the mahila vibhaag’. The jail authorities have also started a medical camp for the inmates and families of the jail officials. “The inmates, jail officials and their families will undergo complete health check up during the camp that is being organised with the help of city’s top hospitals. The health check up includes cardio, skin diseases, kidney-related problems and others,” Mandaviya said.

Article Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/In-a-first-Vadodara-jail-to-have-playschool-for-kids-of-inmates/articleshow/5899735.cms