Delhi: Class II Students From Economically Weaker Sections Now Forced To Seek Re-Admission In Private Schools

Parents of children who took admission in Class II under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category at Her Dreams Queen’s Valley Junior School, a private school in Delhi’s Dwarka, have been put in problematic situation ever since they received notices from the school on 27 November informing them that their wards would have to apply for re-admission through an online portal for being admitted to Class III, reports The Indian Express.

The notice cited a directive from the Delhi Department of Education (DoE) centralising admissions of students availing of the EWS quota through an online portal. The new directive applies to those private schools which are built on government land, and the online admission process will be conducted like a draw of lots.

The parents of the children maintained that the school had previously assured them of automatic promotion to the main school which starts from Class III.

“During the time of nursery admission, we were told that my daughter would automatically be transferred to Class III in the senior school. Now they say it is not possible. Only parents of EWS children have got this notice,” a concerned parent stated.

The All India Parents Association wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday (9 January 2019) asking him to issue a clarification on the DoE directive, stating that the school’s notice misread the circular as it ‘relates to fresh admissions in Class II onward...’.

In a different case, parents of Class VIII students availing the EWS quota at the Air Force Bal Bharti School were issued notices telling them that the school is only obligated to provide them with free education up to Class VIII.

However, advocate Ashok Agarwal contended that as the school is built on land given by the government at a concession, it is legally bound to provide free education under the EWS category up to Class XII.