''More neighbourhood schools must to make new system success''

New Delhi, Feb 6 (UNI) More neighbourhood schools must be opened to make the Ganguly-committee based nursery admission process in the capital smoother and successful, said activist and advocate Ashok Agarwal, who initiated the campaign to change the admission policy.

Mr Agarwal, who filed an appeal in the High Court to abolish the interview system for nursery admission, said the if every locality had an adequate number of schools, the new system would be a success.

''The main thrust should be more and more neighbourhood schools.

The problems faced by parents now will be addressed then....,'' he added.

Praising the Ganguly-committee's 100-point formula, which is based on a point system, Mr Agarwal said the system had addressed most of the demands raised in the appeal.

''The Ganguly committee has worked very hard and the system had addressed major concerns raised in the appeal. It has made the nursery admission a very transparent process,'' he added.

However, he admitted that the system had many ''grey areas''.

''We never claimed that the a perfect system will be implemented....

it has to be fined tuned over a period of time and I am hopeful that will happen,'' Mr Agarwal said.

Recommending draw of lots till more neighbourhood schools are opened, he said it is can be an ''interim arrangement'' to ensure admission for children.

''The court has provided for annual review of the policy for the next three years that should be used to do away with grievances of parents,'' he said.

The criteria on which the candidates will be given points include siblings in the school, qualification of parents, neighbourhood, alumni and special needs.

Schools and some parents are opposed to the system, saying that it is ''discriminatory'' and children living in posh and elite areas will have access to good schools.

''The system is discriminatory.... We live in Rohini and we don't have good schools in our neighbourhood. Why should a child be denied admission in school on the basis of where he lives.

This is class discrimination,'' said Sunil Mehta, whose son was denied admission in 10 schools.

CBSE chairman Ashok Ganguly has defended his system, saying it could be "fine-tuned" and asserted it had not failed.

UNI