A Beginners' Guide To Delhi Nursery Admissions

Another nursery admission season is here. Parents in Delhi are not taking chances and putting all the efforts to get that single seat for their child. Since the whole procedure is full of tension, confusion and scrambling, here, we are trying to make things a bit simpler.

Criteria and Rules

All you may here in the process, mostly, are criteria and rules.

There were three major criteria till last year, neighborhood, alumni (parents as alumni) and siblings (siblings attending the same school). After Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) notified that schools on public land will have new guidelines before starting nursery admissions, so far, it is not clear about the criteria the DoE is planning to adopt. Speculations are rife; the government may come out with the neighborhood and distance criteria, which are in adherence with the Right to Education Act.

Last year, Delhi government had abolished criteria based on parents' education, occupation, and lifestyle. Some schools had come out with bizarre list of banned criteria like non-smoking parents and non-alcoholic parents.

So, when you apply for a school, be sure about criteria for which the schools allot more points.

Schools

Which school you are selecting is also important. Getting admitted in a nursery of a prominent school will somehow assure your child best and standard education in the future. So, look for fee, infrastructure, distance to school, academic standard and curricula, and the popularity of the school as yardsticks to register in a school.

Research

Do your own research before getting you involved in the whole process. Talk to parents who were successful in getting their child admitted in the past. Prepare a list of schools you want your child get registered. Prepare the list of the criteria each school notifies. Compare and analyse the lists.

Registration

Some parents apply to only those schools they wish to see their child study there. But that's foolishness.

First wise step in this process is; apply to all those schools possible.

Second; block the seat you get in the first place, then wait for other lists to come, including your dream school. You will be able to cancel the first admission, if you are chosen for a better school later.

Dates
 
Knowing the dates is very important. This year, the Delhi nursery admission procedure has already started on January 2 and the last date to submit applications is January 23.  The first list of selected candidates, including those waitlisted, along with marks allotted under the point system, will be announced by schools on February 15. The second list, if any, will come out on February 29 and the admission process will close on March 31.

This year, parents will be able to get their doubts cleared as the Directorate of Education has set aside dates for parents to approach schools with grievances. This will be allowed on February 16, 17, and 18.