Why is Delhi Govt Planning to Scrap Nursery Admission in 2021?

The Delhi government will instead likely permit schools to admit two batches in the academic year 2022-2023.

The Delhi government is considering a proposal to not allow nursery admissions in 2021 and admit two batches instead in the 2022-2023 academic year, an official familiar with ongoing discussions on the matter told The Quint.

According to the proposal that will be placed before private schools, admissions are likely to be held in two batches in 2022 – one in nursery and the other in kindergarten.

“We are discussing if nursery admissions can be scrapped in 2021. If this proposal is approved, then children who were to take admission in nursery this year, will directly take admission to KG, where there will be a vacancy.”

Delhi Government Official

Will there be an admission crisis in 2022?

When asked if the admission system will be overwhelmed next year, the official explained that normally, around 90 percent of the children take admission in nursery and are then promoted to kindergarten.

If schools in Delhi do not conduct nursery admission next year, in 2022 there would be vacancies in both nursery and KG – because there would be no students in nursery eligible for promotion to KG in the first place.

The official said that since there’s not much of a difference between nursery and KG, admitting students directly to KG in 2022 wouldn’t adversely impact their future growth.

What’s the logic behind this proposal?

The official also added that the batch of nursery students, who had taken admission in 2020, have had their education completely in the online mode. Nursery classes lay the foundation in the life of young students, who learn “to interact with each other and the world,” he said.

“Parents won’t be comfortable sending children till they are vaccinated. If schools don’t open till then, what is the point of admitting students? Students who were admitted to nursery in 2019 haven’t seen the face of their school.”

Delhi government official

In Delhi, the schedule and criteria for nursery admissions is regulated by the state government, which usually announces a timeline by November.

However, while schools in some other states have reopened partially, those in Delhi have been shut since March and will continue to remain closed till further orders.

What are parents and schools saying?

Aprarajita Gautam, Delhi Parents Association: Gautam feels that the government should go ahead with nursery admissions this year and asks schools to charge the minimum admission fee, which is around Rs 750. Even if the school doesn’t collect tuition fees or conduct classes, Gautam feels that parents “should at least be relieved to know that their ward has a confirmed seat.”

Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal, Springdales School: According to Wattal, the proposal could give rise to a set of challenges for both parents and schools. “We are absolutely not sure how the seat structure would be for these new admissions. There’s also the issue of funds,” she said.

Alka Kapur, Principal, Modern Public School (Shalimar Bagh): Kapur felt that scrapping nursery admissions in 2021 may not be prudent, as children can adapt to online or blended mode of learning at an early age – a trend that she says feels would grow in the future. Further, if admissions don’t take place and the situation gets better by June, children would lose out on education for the whole year, she said.