Govt not framing admission norms for kids below 4, HC told

Updated on: Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The city government was accused in the Delhi High Court of not framing guidelines for the ongoing admission of children below four years of age to pre-school or nursery classes, despite the court orders.

Appearing for civil society Social Jurist before the bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, advocate Ashok Agarwal argued that keeping the child's interest in mind, the Ashok Ganguly Committee had recommended four years as the admission age of children to pre-school classes and it was endorsed by this court in 2007.

He said even the Delhi Education Act prescribed the same age criteria but under the garb of Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009, the government has allowed private schools to give admission to children in the school at the age of three.

He said the government, which was directed by the court to frame guidelines on the issue for the academic year 2008- 2009, has failed to do so till the date.

Citing the apex court rulings, the counsel said the Constitution empowers courts to frame guidelines on the issue till the government comes out with new guidelines.

The lawyer further argued that a child should not travel to long distances for his or her pre-school classes and the Ganguly committee had also recommended that the pre-school should be in the neighbourhood keeping the age factor in mind.

After hearing the argument of NGO, the court fixed Wednesday to hear the Delhi government's arguments.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the NGO challenging the government order, passed on December 16 last year, allowing schools to admit children in nursery classes at the age of three instead of four, in violation of the Delhi Education Act.

Govt not framing admission norms for kids below 4, HC told

More Education news