In violation of NEP, private schools announce early admissions for 2024-25 session

Srinagar, Nov 23: Several Srinagar based private schools have initiated the admission process for the upcoming academic session 2024-2025 which has left the parents fuming who say the move is a clear violation of the established norms and National Education Policy (NEP).

One of the schools issued a notification urging parents to apply online for nursery admissions. The notice states that the online application for admission for Nursery session 2024-2025 will be starting soon.

"Kindly stay connected by visiting our school website," it reads. It further specified that the age of the children should be 3 years as of March 31, 2024, for Nursery, and parents were reminded to keep the necessary documents ready.
However, this decision has not been well-received by parents who argue that the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 clearly states that children should be 4 years in Nursery.

"According to the NEP, a child should be 6 years old in the first primary class, necessitating a 4 age in Nursery and 5 in Kindergarten," the parents said.
The parents accused the school management of causing undue stress by arbitrarily setting age criteria and subjecting young children to interviews in violation of norms.

A similar sentiment was echoed by parents of another school where a notification announced the commencement of the online application process for Nursery admissions.
The notice advised parents to ensure that the details on their child's Date of Birth Certificate match those on the Child's Aadhaar Card.
The controversy has raised questions about the school management's adherence to government orders.

As per the government order issued earlier, private schools are supposed to issue admission notifications in the third week of January, followed by the issuance and receipt of application forms in the last week of the month.
The order mandates the finalization and display of selected children and waiting lists by February 10, with the submission of fees from selected candidates to be completed by February 20.

However, these private schools are not only initiating the process ahead of schedule but are also charging exorbitant fees for admission forms, ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 800, in stark violation of the prescribed government fee of Rs 100 to Rs 200.

The parents have demanded strict action against these schools for flouting the established norms and creating unnecessary chaos and financial burden for families.
An official said the department is aware about the issue and private schools will be directed to follow the uniform admission calendar and provisions of NEP.

"No school will be allowed to violate provisions of NEP-2020 while taking kindergarten admissions," the official said.