Denied admission by schools, claim parents of EWS kids; plea in HC

New Delhi: Kanhaiya Lal’s happiness knew no bounds when his son’s name appeared on the Delhi EWS admission lottery list. “I couldn’t get a good education, but I wanted my son to get admission in a good private school,” the 34-year-old, who works as a courier delivery executive, said.
The excitement was, however, short-lived. When Lal went to get his son enrolled, the school denied it, he alleged.“I was told my child could not get admission as there were no seats for him in KG. Day after day, I have been leaving my job to go to school, but I have been getting the same response. When I asked the school authorities to give the same response in writing, they refused,” Lal claimed. Kauser Jahan, another parent, also narrated a similar ordeal when she went to get her daughter admitted to class I in the same school.
For almost a year, Naziya, tirelessly collected forms and navigated hurdles to secure her son’s admission to the school under the same category, and finally, her persistence paid off when his name appeared on the EWS list. To her dismay, the school allegedly denied the boy admission in KG.
“I don’t know what to do. Should I give up on my dream to get my child a good education in a private school, even after his name is on the list? Or I should fight a legal battle and go from one officer to another to get him his basic right,” wondered Naziya.
Several other parents expressed concern that their children will lose out on the academic year. Sharukh and Tasleem, who live in Trilokpuri, claimed they had to run from pillar to post after their daughter Alisa was denied admission to a private school. “Despite her name being on the list, she is not getting enrolled. What is the point of such a scheme?” an exasperated Sharukh said.
On Monday, Peoples’ Action for Change and Empowerment (PACE), an NGO working for the rights of economically weaker sections, came to the rescue of the four families and filed a PIL in Delhi High Court against the denial of admission by the two schools. The matter is listed for hearing on Wednesday.
“Not all people, especially those living in slums, are aware about the EWS scheme or know how to apply for it, so we help them fill the forms. This year, there were 78 applications, of which 11 names appeared. However, four were denied admission to two schools,” Mayuri Kar, an NGO representative, said.
Advocate Pankaj Sinha from the NGO said, “As per RTE Act and other judgments, if a child’s name comes in the lucky draw for the EWS list, admission cannot be denied. The cases where admission has been denied show the schools are not following govt norms. If other parents are also facing similar issues, there is a need for a proper inquiry in the matter. The officials should also be held accountable; it’s their duty not only to take out the EWS list, but also to ensure those who are in it get admission.”