Entry-level admissions to private schools in Delhi to begin on December 15

The registration process for admission to entry-level classes — nursery, kindergarten and Class 1 — for the 2022-23 academic year in private schools across the national capital will begin from December 15, the Delhi government said on Tuesday.

According to the circular issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE), the admission forms will be available from December 15 -- on the school’s website and campus -- and the last date for submission of forms is January 7.

The school websites will upload the first list of selected candidates on February 4, a second list on February 21, and, if required, a final list will be announced on March 15. The admission process will conclude on March 31.

Entry level admissions to government schools have already begun in the city, and are being conducted in phases.

The DoE circular issued on Tuesday has made it mandatory for schools to charge only ₹25 for the application form and have made it optional for parents to purchase the school prospectus.

According to the circular, DoE has fixed an upper age limit of 4, 5, and 6, as of March 31, 2022, for admission in nursery, kindergarten and Class 1, respectively. The minimum age for admission in these classes is 3, 4, and 5 years as of March 31, 2022, respectively. In line with previous years, age relaxation of up to 30 days for admission in the minimum and upper age limit for these classes can be granted by the head of school, for which parents can submit a physical application.

As per the circular, private schools have also been given autonomy to decide their criteria for admission, and upload them on the DoE website by December 14. The circular also warns them against including several criteria abolished by the Delhi government in 2016, including parents’ education, profession, income, food habits, and written or oral interviews of both students and parents.

Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL Public School, Dwarka, and the chairperson of the National Progressive School’s Conference which has over 120 private Delhi schools as its members, said that the schedule had been announced well within time. She said application forms will be available both on the school website and on campus. “The process is quite long and no new changes seem to have been introduced this year. It’s good that the process has been initiated earlier this time. Last time, it was delayed because of the pandemic,” said Acharya.

She said that schools will need to take extra efforts to familiarise children with the school environment after nursery since many parents did not enrol children into playschool or other preparatory classes amid the pandemic.

Bharat Arora, general secretary of the Action Committee of Unaided Schools, said that the timely announcement of the admission schedule will help bring the academic cycle back on track. “Private schools are all set to initiate the process as per the schedule and we pray for the normal start of the next session. We hope that admission continues as per the schedule,” said Arora.