Government schools have been directed to advance their admission dates for the upcoming session to ensure that all city schools will now begin their admissions together. The other point put forth by the schools was on the winter vacations coinciding with the time frame of the schedule and the problem of having to depute teachers during holidays, for which the department has agreed upon a relaxation of five days.

“Out of the 70 schools present for the meeting, almost everyone was in concensus regarding the dates, though the few of them who had a problem with the draw, display of select list and waiting list from January 10 to 15 as it coincided with the winter break. An exemption of five days is being provided to them and the list will now be displayed from January 5 to 20,” said DPI Upkar Singh.

Private schools have welcomed the decision. “The government schools are going to follow an admission schedule similar to the one being prescribed to us. This was also the main suggestion from our side as well, to have all city schools included in following the basic direction,” said H S Mamik, President of Independent School Association.

Attended by over 100 representatives from the various private schools, the meeting was long being expected by the private schools after the common admission schedule, introduced in the upcoming session, was first communicated to them raising the concern that their grievances went heard in expectation of full compliance of the schedule.

Further, the schools expressed the need to have clarity on various issues pertaining to Right To Education (RTE) implementation on which clarification is being sought by them. “We have been asked to submit in writing the issues that need to be sorted prior to admissions, including reimbursement of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students and the pending High Court decision on fee revision We have been promised to receive a response on the same within five days,” said Mamik.