Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the decision was taken to bring more transparency in the admission process of private schools.
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The Delhi government has scrapped management quotas for admissions to private schools, reports the Mint.
Questioning the timing of the decision, Delhi Public Schools Management Association president R C Jain said, “This is vendetta on the part of the government because the schools refused to provide them with DTC buses during the odd-even scheme”.
Warning schools of stringent action in case of violations, he said his government will use all available options against erring institutions, including takeover.
“If they do not budge, they can be de-recognised or government can take them over”, he said, adding “the mafia had captured the education system and made it a business”. He the government had asked schools to make public the criteria they follow for selecting children for admission to nursery and a compilation has thrown up a list “that shocked us”.
Besides, the government has also scrapped 62 other criteria for admission which Kejriwal termed “unreasonable” and “discriminatory”. Schools can redraft criteria of admission points and it should be just, transparent and fair. Citing examples, Kejriwal said many such criteria were arbitrary and discriminatory-some, for instance said students would not be admitted if their parents ate non-vegetarian food, smoked or drank liquor.
“There is no problem about admissions of children of the school’s staff. No one from the Delhi government will intercede for admissions in the city’s schools”, he said. In 2013, Delhi LG Najeeb Jung tried to define the criteria by the schools, however, the Delhi High Court quashed the LG’s nursery admissions guidelines.
Ashok Sehgal, Principal, Ahlcon International School and Chairman, National Progressive Schools Conference (NPSC) said: “After schools went to high court and it ruled in favour of the schools and connotations of it, they challenged it and the matter is pending”.
The government issued a list of 62 criteria announcing that all these have been abolished.
Kejriwal said the existing provision of 25 percent seats earmarked for students from poor families will remain in place. To respect martyrs who fight for the country we can at least promise to give admission to their children. In some schools, only 25 per cent seats are open.
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“The court had not allowed quota”.
