The Hindu : Front Page : Court restrains schools from interviewing kids

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Thursday, May 11, 2006

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Court restrains schools from interviewing kids

Staff Reporter

Asks schools to formulate alternative mechanism for admissions to pre-nursery, nursery classes

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday restrained public schools in the Capital from subjecting children and their parents to interviews for admissions to pre-nursery and nursery classes.

Passing the order, a Division Bench comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice S.N. Aggarwal said, "No public schools will call children and their parents for interviews for admissions to pre-nursery and nursery classes without the permission of the Court."

The Bench passed the order when Ashok Aggarwal, counsel for parents of three nursery school children who have challenged in an appeal a Single Judge Bench judgment of the Court dismissing their petitions seeking a ban on interview of children and their parents for admissions to the two classes, submitted that despite the Court earlier saying "no" to the practice, the schools were going ahead with it.

The Bench gave the last opportunity to the Action Committee of Recognised Unaided Schools, an association of private unaided schools of the Capital, to devise an alternative method for granting admissions to these classes.

Their appeals will now come up for hearing on July 26.

The Bench had earlier warned that if the Committee failed to agree on an alternative mechanism, the Court would pass appropriate orders.

Mr. Aggarwal had earlier submitted that the Committee could make use of the draw of lots method for these admissions, as the Delhi Government-run schools here select poor students for admissions under the freeship scheme by that method.

The Court had in 2004 also sought the assistance of the Attorney-General of India, Milon Banerjee, and the people in general to decide the appeals in the matter.

Justice S.K. Kaul had in January 2003 rejected the petitions seeking a direction to debar schools in the Capital from subjecting parents as well as their wards to interviews for admissions to these classes.

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