Can’t force private schools to admit more: Govt to SC

Directorate of Education (DoE) said the admissions were already over in the private schools in accordance with directives issued by the DoE on May 8.

DoE said it would ensure that children who didn’t make it to private schools would be admitted to government schools. (Source: Express photo)

Even as more and more parents queued up to get their children admitted in nursery this year, the Delhi government on Monday made it clear to the Supreme Court that it could not direct private schools to admit more children.

In its affidavit submitted to court, the Directorate of Education (DoE) said the admissions were already over in the private schools in accordance with directives issued by the DoE on May 8.

“The answering respondent (DoE) cannot provide relief to the petitioner, as prayed for, because they cannot direct private unaided schools to admit any particular child at this point of time when academic session 2014-15 has already started and classes have begun. That the respondent issued office order dated May 8, 2014, to all private unaided schools to complete the admission process for entry level classes for the remaining seats, if any, in their schools, and start the session at the earliest,” the government affidavit stated.

The affidavit was filed in response to petitions by some parents, who have sought parity for their children with 24 other children who were allowed admission under the Inter-State Transfer (IST) quota on the orders of the apex court.

Maintaining that the government could not ask schools to admit more children, the DoE also pointed out that the admissions in nursery classes in Delhi are “fiercely contested” by parents for a few “sought after” schools.

“Delhi has nearly 1,577 recognised private schools, 1,006 government schools, 216 government-aided schools, 2,800 other primary MCD and NDMC schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas etc. It is not true that any child would be deprived of education for lack of schooling facilities in Delhi… everyone wants admission in few ‘sought after’ schools and the same is not possible…,” it said.

The government said it was obligated under the Right To Education Act to provide admission to all children up to Class VIII, and hence, it was willing to get these children admitted in government schools.

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The DoE also defended its decision to scrap the IST quota — under which a child got five extra points — contending the provision was being “rampantly misused” and that parents had sought transfers from Gurgaon, Noida and Faridabad to earn points.

It also sought the dismissal of the petitions, saying the pleas were not maintainable in view of the May 7 Supreme Court decision, wherein the court had allowed resumption of the admission process after accommodating 24 children.

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