The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed that every private unaided recognised school in the national capital should appoint a dedicated nodal officer for overseeing the admission process of students under the EWS or disadvantaged group (DG) category.
Recognising the language barriers faced by many parents of economically weaker section (EWS) category students, the court said it is important that circulars, notices and instructions related to admissions under EWS or DG category be provided in both English and Hindi.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directed all the stakeholders to ensure that there is a seamless merger of EWS and non-EWS students in schools, which is the spirit of Right to Education (RTE) Act.
For ensuring respectful and accessible admissions of EWS category of students, the high court passed a slew of directions, including that all the private unaided recognised schools of Delhi should prepare a clear admission schedule following the allotment of students by the Directorate of Education (DoE) pursuant to the computerised draw of lots.
“To streamline the admission process of EWS/ DG category students, schools shall create a schedule that specifies the date and time each student is required to report for admission, distributing the total number of students evenly over the designated period, within the aforesaid seven-day period,” it said.
The court passed the verdict on a batch of petitions, brought by 10 petitioners, who faced difficulties due to technical issues while seeking admission under the EWS/ DG category, a right to which they are entitled under the RTE Act.
The court directed that the petitioner students shall be entitled to continue studying in the respective schools, under the EWS/ DG category, with all the RTE entitlements.
The high court observed that there are no poor or rich dreams, nor are there poor or rich talents.
“Similarly, there are no poor or rich expectations from the community and the government. This court believes that the dreams of those who are financially weaker and labelled as poor by society should not be presumed to be lesser in their capacity or capability.
“Likewise, those who are not financially poor are not different in their aspirations. All children, regardless of their economic background, may share the same dreams they wish to pursue,” it said.
The court further said that the measures will go a long way in simplifying the admission process for underprivileged families, many of whom may have limited educational backgrounds or face language barriers.
“The successful implementation of these directions is essential to uphold the rights of EWS/ DG category students and to ensure that their access to education is not hindered by avoidable procedural challenges,” it said.
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