School Admission Reforms: Why, What, How?
Panel discussion on the School Admission Woes in Delhi

At the onset of the nursery admission season, a panel discussion on School Admission Reforms was organized by the School Choice Campaign (SCC) in order to address the acute problems faced by the parents and well as the grievances of the schools in order to evolve long-term solutions to existing problems in school admission process in Delhi. Representing parents and schools during the dialogue were Mr Rajan Arora, Founder, NurseryAdmissions.Com- Parents for Parents Community, India's first and biggest online community of parents dedicated to the issue of School Admissions and Mr R C Jain, President, Delhi State Public School Management Association respectively. Chairing the dialogue was Mr Baladevan R, National Campaign Director, School Choice Campaign.

“There is no information available on the dates of admissions on the DOE website and the schools themselves. Parents are unclear on the markings of the group discussions and interviews conducted by the schools and there is no clarity on the refund of funds in case of cancellations,” said Mr Arora.

Prior to the discussion the School Choice Campaign and www.nurseryadmissions.com (with over 15,000 members) formulated the Parent’s Charter through online voting on the basis of the common concerns in the admissions process with parental consensus. The objective of this Charter is to ensure greater transparency, accountability and standardization in the admission process. On behalf of the parents, Mr Rajan Arora presented the Charter to Mr RC Jain who agreed that his schools would abide by the following points of the parents Charter:

Transparency of Results: The schools must display the exact break-up points for each child when they release the admissions list and on the school website/ Directorate of Education website.
Transparency of Criteria: The break-up of points must be based on ‘definitive’ criteria avoiding vagueness like – group discussions, national level achievements of parents etc.
Fee Refund and Deduction: In case a child is not admitted to the school or the admission is cancelled, the portion of the fee retained by the school must be made clear in advance and should be in accordance with government guidelines.
Time-bound Fee Refund: The refund of the fee deposited where applicable must happen within 3 working days of filing applications for refund.

However Mr Jain did not comply with one of the points of the Charter-Common Admission Schedule on the grounds that it would not be conducive for parents as they would miss an opportunity to approach another schools in case their child did not get admission in their preferred school of choice.

However, We believe that common admission schedule would not only benefit parents in not having to deposit huge sums of money in multiple schools (the problem is compounded by schools not refunding the entire amount) but would also save them the extra time of having to run after the schools for months. This problem is mainly due to new and not reputed schools opening the admissions months ahead of the reputed ones.

“The root cause of this problem is the huge supply demand gap in education today. We have only 1900 schools in Delhi to cater to some lakhs of student. This is partly due to the long processes of getting one’s school recognized and the education sector still pressurized to be not for profit making. How can you expect us to run institutions this way,” said Mr R C Jain

The forum also saw the formal launch of Action for School Admission Reforms (ASAR) 2009, a helpdesk for parents to lodge complaints, even anonymously, against unscrupulous schools. ASAR was initiated in 2008 and is a joint project of SCC and www.nurseryadmissions.com.

For further details visit http://schoolchoice.in/nurseryadmission/

Mr Manu Sundaram welcomes the panel and the participants

(L-R): Mr Rajan Arora, Mr Baladevan R, Mr R C Jain

(L-R): Mr Rajan Arora, Mr Baladevan R, Mr R C Jain

Mr R C Jain responding to the points in the parents charter

Delhi Schools Nursery Admissions Dates From Last Year 2009-2010 Session

November 2008
1. Nursery Admissions Bal Bharti Public School, Pusa Road/Ganga Ram Hospital Marg - Nov 3 to Nov 12
2. Nursery Admissions Bal Bharti Public School, Rohini - Nov 3 - Nov 11
3. Nursery Admissions Modern School, Humayun Road - November 15 (single day)
4. Nursery Admissions Modern School, Vasant Vihar - November 15 (single day)
5. Nursery Admissions St Gregorios, Dwarka - November 3
6. Nursery Admissions St Gregorios, Janakpuri - November 3
7. Nursery Admissions DPS International, RK Puram and Saket Branches - November 3
8. Nursery Admissions Inderprastha International School, Dwarka - Nov 1 to Nov 10
9. Nursery Admissions Inderprastha World School, Paschim Vihar - Nov 1 to Nov 14 -
10. Nursery Admissions DAV Public School, Rohini - Nov 1
11. Nursery Admissions DPS, Mathura Road - Nov 3 to Nov 7
12. Nursery Admissions Loreto Convent High School, Delhi Cantt - Nov 1 to Nov 30 (Do carry BC of your child along)
13. Nursery Admissions St Mary's School, Dwarka - From Nov 15 (for a week's time they said on phone)
14. Nursery Admissions Lancer's Convent, Rohini - From Nov 15
15. Nursery Admissions Bal Bharti, Dwarka - Nov 17 to Nov 27
16. Nursery Admissions Salwan Public School, Rajinder Nagar - Nov 17 to Nov 29 (distribution) and Nov 17 to Dec 6 (submission)
17. Nursery Admissions Kalka Public School, Alaknanda - From Nov 16
18. Nursery Admissions Amity International School - From Nov 16
19. Nursery Admissions Queen's Mary, Model Town - Nov 17 to Nov 20
20. Nursery Admissions N K Bagrodia Public School, Rohini Sec 9 - Nov 15 to Nov 22

December 2008
1. Nursery Admissions St Francis De Sales, Janakpuri - Dec 1 to Dec 6
2. Nursery Admissions Sanskriti School, Chanakyapuri - Dec 10 to Dec 18 at school and Dec 15 to Dec 31 online. For more info, go to http://www.sanskritischool.com/admission/schedule0910.htm
3. Nursery Admissions St Columba's School, Bangla Sahib - From Dec 1 (on school working days)
4. Nursery Admissions St Thomas Girls School, Karol Bagh - Dec 1 to Dec 15 for issuance and Jan 2 to Jan 12 (except 4, 10, and 11) for submission
5. Nursery Admissions Mata Jai Kaur Public School, Ashok Vihar- Dec 15 to Dec 31
6. Nursery Admissions DPS, Rohini - Dec 15 to Jan 7 2009
7. Nursery Admissions Hansraj Public School, Punjabi Bagh - Dec 15 to Dec 20 with Dec 24 as last date for submission
8. Nursery Admissions Jaspal Kaur Public School, Shalimar Bagh - Dec 15 to Dec 31
9. Nursery Admissions Ramjas School, R K Puram - Dec 15 to Dec 31
10. Nursery Admissions Vasant Valley School, Vasant Kunj - Dec 15 to Jan 7 (online registration at http://vasantvalley.org)
11. Nursery Admissions Convent of Jesus and Mary, Bangla Sahib - From Dec 1 on all working days
12. Nursery Admissions Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar, East of Kailash - Dec 1 to Dec 8 (distribution) and by Dec 15 (submission). Pre-primary (4+) seats available only at EoK branch
13. Nursery Admissions Springdales, Pusa Road/Dhaula Kuan/Kirti Nagar - Dec 1 to Dec 7 with Dec 15 as last date for submission
14. Nursery Admissions Carmel Convent, Chanakya Puri - Dec 1 to 12 (including submission)
15. Nursery Admissions St. Michael's, Pusa Road - Dec 15 to Dec 17
16. Nursery Admissions K R Mangalam (both branches) - From Dec 15
17. Nursery Admissions Sardar Patel Vidyalaya - Dec 1 to Dec 3
18. Nursery Admissions Summerfields, Kailash Colony- Dec 15 to Dec 31
19. Nursery Admissions DPS, EOK/RKP - Dec 15 to Dec 31
20. Nursery Admissions Mount St. Mary's, Delhi Cantt - Dec 6 for distribution and Dec 13 for submission (General category), 9 a.m. to 12 noon. For other categories, follow: //
21. Nursery Admissions The Shri Ram School, Vasant Vihar/Gurgaon - Dec 1 to Dec 6. For more information, go to the link http://www.theshriramvatika.org/admissions.html
22. Nursery Admissions Srijan Model School, Model Town - Dec 1 to Dec 10
23. Nursery Admissions The Mother's International School, Aurobindo Marg - Dec 15 to Dec 24 (only online). For other important information regarding registration refer to http://www.themis.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&amp...
24. Nursery Admissions Kulachi Hansraj, Ashok Vihar - From Dec 1
25. Nursery Admissions Don Bosco School, Alaknanda - Dec 1 to Dec 15 (except 7th, 13th and 14th ). See details at
26. Nursery Admissions Ramjas Public School, Anand Parbat - Dec 15 to Dec 30. See details http://ramjasdayboarding.com/index.htm
27. Nursery Admissions Father Agnel School, Gautam Nagar - Dec 10 and Dec 11 (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
28. Nursery Admissions Frank Anthony Public School, Lajpat Nagar - Dec 1 to Dec 12. See details at http://www.fapsnewdelhi.net/Default.aspx
29. Nursery Admissions Presentation Convent (Girls School), S P Mukherjee Marg, Opp Lal Quila - Dec 1 to Dec 15 (online forms). For details go to http://pcsdelhi.in/index.php
30. Nursery Admissions G D Goenka, Rohini - Dec 15 to Deca 31 (on all working days at the school reception)
31. Nursery Admissions G D Goenka, Sec-10, Dwarka - Forms available until Dec 30
32. Nursery Admissions G D Goenka, Sec-B, Vasant Kunj- Forms available at school reception from Dec 15 to Dec 31 and can be downloaded from http://gdgoenka.com/gdgps. Last date of submission at the school is as Jan 7
33. Nursery Admissions The Heritage School, Rohini - Dec 15 to Dec 31. Forms to be downloaded, filled and mailed. Printouts of completed forms also to be submited at the school along with required documents. For details, see http://www.theheritageschool.com/rohini/admissionpreschool.htm
34. Nursery Admissions The Heritage School, Vasant Kunj - Dec 15 to 31 (download or collect) with Jan 7 as last date for submission at school reception
35. Nursery Admissions The Sovereign School, Rohini - No dates given but forms available for download and collection from school with 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For details, see http://www.thesovereignschool.com/home.htm
36. Nursery Admissions Bluebells Schools International, Kailash - Dec 1 to Dec 8 (online at http://www.bluebellsinternational.com
37. Nursery Admissions Birla Vidya Niketan, Pushp Vihar, Sector-IV - Dec 1 to Dec 6 (General category)
38. Nursery Admissions Cambridge Primary School, New Friends Colonoy - From Dec 1. Go to http://www.cps-nfc.comfor further details
39. Nursery Admissions DAV Public School, Sreshtha Vihar - Dec 1 to Dec 16 (forms available at school and website at http://www.davsrestha.com
40. Nursery Admissions DPS, Vasant Kunj - Dec 15 to Dec 31 between 2 to 4 p.m. for 3+ and 4+.
41. Nursery Admissions New Era Junior School, Rajouri Garden and Naraina - Dec 1 to Dec 6
42. Nursery Admissions New Era Public School, Dwarka-II - Dec 1 to Dec 6
43. Nursery Admissions CPS Junior School (of St. Cecilia Public School), Vikaspuri and Rajouri Garden - Until Dec 15
44. Nursery Admissions Laxman Public School, Hauz Khas - Dec 2 to Dec 12 (from school and website at http://www.laxmanpublicschool.com) with Dec 19 as last date for submission
45. Nursery Admissions The Air Force School, Subroto Park and other branches - Dec 15 to Dec 31 (distribution at Air Force Bal Bharti School, Lodhi Road, from 3 to 5 p.m.) and Dec 17 to Jan 7 (submission at at Air Force Bal Bharti School, Lodhi Road, from 3 to 5 p.m.) For other details, go to http://www.tafs.in/download/0809/Admission2009.pdf
46. Nursery Admissions Mater Dei Convent School, Tilak Marg - Dec 1 to Dec 5
47. Nursery Admissions Ryan International, all branches - Dec 5 to Dec 20
48. Nursery Admissions Montfort School, Ashok Vihar - Dec 15 to 31 (http://montfortschooldelhi.com)
49. Nursery Admissions Sadhu Vaswani Intl. School (for girls), Shanti Niketan - Dec 1 to 10 with last date of submission Dec 17 (http://www.sadhuvaswani.org/svisgdelhi/index.html)
50. Nursery Admissions Holy Child Auxilium School, Vasant Vihar - Dec 1 to Dec 15
51. Nursery Admissions Banyan Tree, Lodhi Road - Dec 8 to Dec 15
52. Nursery Admissions S S Mota Singh Junior Model School, Janak Puri and Guru Harkrishan Nagar - Dec 15 to Dec 31
53. Nursery Admissions ITL Public School, Sector-9, Dwarka - Dec 8 to Dec 15 with Dec 22 as last date for submission
54. Nursery Admissions OPG World School, Sec-19 B, Dwarka - Forms currently available (no dates mentioned) at school
55. Nursery Admissions The Indian Heights School, Sec-23, Dwarka - Forms currently available (no dates mentioned) at school reception and at Shemrock Steps, J-152, Rajouri Garden
56. Nursery Admissions DPS, Dwarka - Dec 15 to Dec 31 (online at http://dpsdwarka.org)
57. Nursery Admissions Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai, Saket and Pitam Pura - Dec 15 to Dec 22 (online registration) with last date of submission as Dec 22
58. Nursery Admissions K R Mangalam WS, GK-II and Vikaspuri - From Dec 15 on FCFS basis at both schools with last date of submission as Jan 5.
59. Nursery Admissions Summer Fields School, Kailash Colony - From Dec 15 on FCFS basis at both schools with last date of submission as Jan 5.
60. Nursery Admissions N C Jindal Public School, Punjabi Bagh - Dec 15 to Dec 31 with Jan 7 as the last date for submission
61. Nursery Admissions St Michael's, Pusa Road - Dec 15 to Dec 17