City parents demand amendment to edn Act

Citing discrimination in nursery admission process in private schools, the All India Parents Association said the Delhi School Education Act, 1973 should be amended to put an end to such practices.

The organisation also wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to bring the issue to the fore.
“Every child has a fundamental right to equal treatment for nursery admissions in an unaided recognised private school, which has been incorporated in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009,” said the letter.

“ However, the present legal position leaves scope for private unaided schools to formulate discriminatory admission criteria and to pick and choose between tiny tots as per their own whims and fancies.”

In 2013, the Lieutenant Governor’s had issued guidelines for nursery admissions to curb this menace and bring about a non-discriminatory admission criterion. But the guidelines were rolled back in 2014, said the All India Parents Association (AIPA).

“Although appeals against the order are still pending before a division bench of the High Court. The controversy will be resolved by amending the Delhi School Education Act, 1973. Needless to say that such amendment should prohibits screening procedure for admissions of children in the age group 6 to 14 years.”