Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) The Delhi government order allowing unaided private schools to go ahead with the admission of toddlers aged three years and above in pre-school (nursery) class was Monday challenged in court by an NGO, which said it was against an earlier court judgment.

Approaching the Delhi Court, NGO, Social Jurist said that the order of Delhi’s directorate of education (DoE) was violative of an earlier judgment of the high court which said no child, below the age of four years, would be admitted for formal schooling.

“The matter is likely to be heard by Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw on Dec 21,” said the NGO’s counsel Ashok Agarwal.

The NGO, in its plea, said: “The petitioner by the present application is seeking stay of the order dated Dec 16, 2011 of the Delhi government, to the extent it permits unaided recognised private schools of Delhi to conduct admission to pre-school (nursery) as entry level class in the academic session 2012-13.”

Agarwal, through the PIL, has alleged the government failed to prevent “unaided recognized private schools from admitting children below 4 years age in formal school.

“The government also failed to ensure the schools of Delhi have only one year pre-primary class in formal schools where children of 4+ age are admitted directly and are not promoted from Nursery/Pre-school,” said the plea.

Seeking to ban the pre-school (nursery) class, where “3+ kids are being admitted”, the NGO has said that formal education should start with the pre-primary class where 4+ kids be admitted.

The petition alleged that the government’s order, was issued “in haste and in great disregard to the orders having been passed by this court in the PIL and also with a view to frustrate the present proceedings”.

The NGO also alleged that the government did not bother to wait for the “outcome of the hearing of the PIL” and allowed the private schools to conduct admission to pre-school (nursery) class as entry level class.

The NGO has raised apprehension that the act of the government would lead to continued admission of children below four years in pre-schools, “treating it as an entry level for the academic session 2012-13 and thereafter promoting them to next class that is pre-primary class and in the next academic year of 2013-14″.

Earlier, the city government had told the court that it has approved and accepted the recommendations of the Ganguly Committee report on admission of toddlers.