New Delhi:
It's that time of the year again when parents scramble for a seat in schools for their young ones as 'Mission Nursery Admission' begins in Delhi today.
The sale of application forms for admissions to upcoming session begins today and will go on till January 16. While schools will have to publish the first list of selected candidates by February 1 and second list by February 28, the entire process of admission will have to be completed by March 31 as per the guidelines issued by the Directorate of Education of Delhi.
Even as parents slug it out for the limited seats, they have also come together to help sail through the struggle. Keeping in mind the harrowing experience they had last year, many parents have joined online to alert others on how they could avoid unnecessary difficulties that often pose hurdles in the admission process.
"Expect long queues outside schools without any sitting arrangement and it may take from two to three hours in few schools to get the forms. So be ready for that. Don't take your tiny tots along with you," advises Pramod Kumar in a messaged posted on www.admissionsnursery.com.
Mr Kumar, who claims to have applied in 23 schools for his child's admission last year, also suggests parents to read the forms carefully, fill them up and submit the same day to avoid multiple trips to the school.
"Going by my experience last year, I would suggest that parents reach school early," says Asha in her message to the parents.
Maharam, another parent on the forum, has posted a format of the affidavit required for applying in the first boy child category.
"There have been huge discussions on many such issues that can help parents to do their homework before plunging into this battle for admission," says Sumit Vohra, the founder of the website.
"These discussions are not only making parents aware about the intricacies of the admission process, but also making the entire process easier for them," he told PTI.
Meanwhile, many schools across the city have issued guidelines for parents to ensure smooth sale of forms which are to be available from 8:30 AM.
"It's important for parents to be punctual as they have to queue up outside the school. We can't issue forms after the scheduled time," says Jyoti Bose, Principal of Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan.
"Parents must carry the requisite documents when they come to fill forms. But the most important documents are proof of birth," says Usha Ram, Principal of Laxman Public School.
There are about 4,500 schools in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), of which over 2,000 are unaided private schools which have been the first preference of parents.
(With agency inputs)