Delhi Government Agrees Before Delhi High Court To Issue Guidelines For Nursery Admissions For 2021-22

Moved by petitioner, Rajat Vats, the plea sought for framing of guidelines for nursery admissions stating that the purpose of nursery education cannot be fulfilled via online classes.

The plea seeks directions to the Delhi Education department to consider the exemption of nursery admissions this year, due to the Covid-19 scenario which has made physical attendance in classes a long shot for the near future – especially for nursery-attending toddlers.

The petitioner emphasizes that the purpose of nursery education is to have an adequate play school environment for small kids who can be familiar with a similar schooling environment in the post nursery education and that nursery education, prepares kids towards that.

It is also stated that nursery education allows kids to develop schooling behaviour by stabilizing their physical and emotional well-being as they grow up and to ultimately make them ready for promotion to higher classes.

It has been argued that such an environment is not possible till the time online classes persist in the wake of Covid-19. In such a situation, the petitioner states that it will be appropriate for the schools to not grant admissions in nursery classes for the age group of 3 to 4 years as the primary purpose of nursery education remains defeated till the time online classes are in place.

Imparting of nursery education to small kids by way of online class culture is violative of the rights of parents and children under Art. 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India, according to the petitioner.

The same petitioner had approached the Delhi High Court in early 2020 seeking directions on the Govt of NCT of Delhi and Department of Education to provide relaxation or to suspend fees charged by private schools for facilities except for the tuition fees for the months of April, May and June 2020 in the view of pandemic.

Subsequently, a single judge bench of the Delhi High Court comprising of Justice Pratibha M Singh vide order dated 20^th April 2020 dismissed the petition by observing that the act of charging tuition fees was valid as the schools are organizing online classes wherein teachers and staff members are discharging their functions by imparting coursework over online platforms and therefore there is a burden on schools to pay their staff. Hence, the court declined to intervene in the matter.