Testing times for parents, children

Gurvinder Singh

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 7

In violation of the Right to Education Act, a large number of schools in the city continues to conduct interviews in the name of interaction thereby making parents and children go through the mill.

According to the Right to Free and Compulsory Education: No school or person shall, while admitting a child collect any capitation fee and subject the child or his parents or guardian to any screening procedure.

But the act is not being followed in many schools.

Interviews are going on without any stop in many of the city schools. “My child was taken to another room where he was asked the names of the fruits, colours, shapes and was even asked to compare the size of the objects,” said Harvinder Singh, a parent. Another parent claimed that he was asked about his personal details, including his income, qualification and members of family. “Not only this, but questions were also asked to test my knowledge while my son was taken to another room for interview at a school on Chandigarh Road,” added the parent.

Parents condemn selection procedure
Parents are just told about the admission criteria. “How can you judge a child on the basis of a one-hour interview? When my child was not admitted (in an elite school), I went back and did not give up until they shared the criteria on the basis of which they rejected him. He was interviewed again and the interviewers were impressed with him,” said a parent. “But it is highly unethical to interview children like that. A child may be in a bad mood or may be sick,” he added.

No uniformity in selection process
Some schools have devised their own point system but there is no uniformity in the selection procedure. Some schools have devised a point system for admissions. “We have a point system like Delhi,” said Col DB Sharma, director, Sat Paul Mittal School. “We give preferences to siblings of children studying here, wards of the teachers and also the transfer cases. Those living in proximity are also given preference. During the meeting with parents, we just check whether the documents they have submitted are authenticate or not,” added Sharma. The principal of Guru Nanak Public School, Mona Singh, said they give preference to children who have siblings in the school. At BCM Arya Model School, selection is done on the basis of the information that is filled in the registration forms. The important parameters include siblings studying in school, distance from school, occupation, parent’s qualification, alumni’s wards and vaccination certificates. Only these aspects are considered during admission, said Paramjit Kaur, principal, BCM Arya Model School. Some other schools are also giving preference to point system. Preference to siblings and proximity is also given at Kundan Vidya Mandir, Civil Lines.

While there was a principal of a school who admitted that the school also considers the pay package and income of the parents.

Playway an eligibility criteria now!
A child should be a part of a playway. This has become an unsaid norm nowadays. Parents are frequently asked as to which playway the child has studied in. “I had gone to enquire about the admission process of a school that was established a couple of years back. I was asked which playway my child was in. When I said he was not in any playway, their business head said the child’s admission chances to their school stood bleak,” said Amandeep. “Since when was this rule has been made that a child has to be in a playway before nursery,” asked Amandeep.

Process gets murkier
Parents try everything to get their wards admitted to elite schools. They try to get their children admitted to good schools by taking help from influential people. From political approaches to using other means, they are doing it all. Playways are also playing their part in interviews in the name of conducting ‘mock interviews’. They conduct such interviews just to ‘prepare’ the child for admissions in other schools. Many playways just claim to have a tie up with reputed schools in order to lure parents.

In order to get their wards admitted to reputed schools, underhand donations are also being accepted by the concerned authorities.

It is learnt that some ‘agents’ have also duped parents on pretext of having close association with principals of reputed schools. These so-called agents have duped the parents to the tune of lakhs.

Principals not in favour of lucky draw
Many people say that lucky draw should be conducted for an equal and transparent procedure of selection. This process was recently carried out at DAV Public School, BRS Nagar. But some principals are not in favour of the system as it limits their main criteria of consideration such as if any siblings studying in the school and proximity.