‘Schools won’t open before July’: Delhi scraps nursery admissions; What will J&K do?

Delhi government has considered scrapping nursery admissions for the academic session 2021-22 as there is ‘little possibility’ of schools reopening before July in view of Covid-19. Senior government officials have discussed the option and likely to propose it to private schools, Indian Express reported.

According to the proposal, Delhi schools will admit two batches in 2022-23- one in nursery and other in kindergarten. Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said that there was very little possibility of schools reopening before July.

“Even if we start vaccinating people by February, we will be able to vaccinate a sizeable chunk only by July. There is no possibility of reopening schools before that. We also have to look at how examinations will be conducted without putting teachers and students at risk,” Sisodia reportedly said.

In Jammu and Kashmir too, the situation remains the same as schools are shut since March even as they compel parents to pay the fee and make children attend the online classes, a practice that experts have already ruled out for its adverse affects on child’s psychological and physical well being.

Speaking on the proposal a senior official said that the admission in both nursery and kindergarten will be taken in the session 2022-23. “Schools can admit students in both nursery and kindergarten for the 2022-23 academic session, as there will be vacancies in both grades. Considering the unpredictable nature of the Covid virus, the youngest children will be the last to go to school in any case. In such a situation, to have another set of young children whose entire academic year will be online is a little unfair to them as well as to their parents,” the senior official said.

Schools across the country was closed since March due to Covid-19 lockdown. “There is a whole batch of students who started nursery in April this year, but everything was online. They have not interacted with their teachers or classmates, and have only seen them on the screen. In formative classes such as nursery and kindergarten, children learn to interact with each other and the world so that they are prepared for what lies ahead. They have not got this opportunity, despite starting school,” the official reportedly said.

Delhi government regulated the admission criteria and schedule for the nursery admissions. The guidelines are usually released by November. However, there has not been any discussion so far.