Notice to the Lt Governor and Delhi government has been issued by the Delhi High Court on a PIL seeking amendment in nursery admission procedure.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath (appointed yesterday) issued notice to the Lt Governor and Delhi Government on a Public Interest Litigation filed by an NGO and asked them to reply by July 17.
The petitioner has sought to amend clause 14 of the recognised schools (Admission Procedure for pre-primary class) order 2007 to bring it on the lines of section 13 read with section 2(O) of the RTE Act 2009 which clearly prohibits screening of children for admission into schools.
The petitioner said allowing private schools to formulate their own guidelines for admission of children to nursery/pre nursery is contrary to the Section 13 read with 2(0) of the Right to Education Act and frustrates its entire objective to give education to children.
The petitioner argued that since most of the schools admit children to pre-nursery and nursery classes at the entry level and then promote them to the elementary classes therefore the clause should be amended so that a uniform pattern can be adopted during admissions to schools by all alike.
The petitioner argued that since the RTE Act is not applicable on children below the age of six years there should be separate criteria for admissions of children of 0- 14 years.
The High Court had also held on February 2 last that the Delhi Government should consider the lacuna that children between 0-14 have not been covered under the Right to Education Act and some provisions should be made so that these children are not left out.
The petitioner asked the court to intervene so that a uniform policy is enacted for the purpose of giving admission to the reserved category of poor and under-privileged children in nursery or pre-nursery classes at the entry level itself.
