The SAC guidelines are based on the provisions of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act and Delhi High Court directions on nursery admissions. Meanwhile, schools are still waiting for clarifications on various issues regarding student’s age, compensation, and providing admission to students from economically weaker sections (EWS) of society.
   The SAC guidelines were set to facilitate the point-based admission process and are drafted so that schools can finalize their admission criteria from these broad parameters.
   According to S K Bhattacharya, chairman of SAC, “The parameters we have set are merely suggestions. We have circulated the guidelines among schools so that they can give their feedback. Broadly, the suggestions are as per the RTE and Delhi High Court’s directions. For example we have suggested that old schools can give more points for alumni category, while new schools can give fewer points here and give more points in a different category.”
   As per the parameters prepared by the SAC, old schools which have been in existence for more than 70-80 years can provide 10 to 15 points for students who are the children of alumni, while new schools can restrict alumni points to two or three points. Other criteria which help to assign points include which neighbourhood the child lives in, whether they have a sibling and whether the student is a girl, among others. While the guidelines make it clear that there will be no social or academic profiling of parents, it is silent on the issue of nursery admission age. The committee said that it will abide with whatever the court and directorate of education decide.
   “There is a case pending in the high court right now and we will go by the orders of the court and directorate of education. Right now we are abiding by what has been asked from us by the directorate,” said Bhattacharya.
   Around 2,000 private recognized schools in the city will start accepting applications for nursery admission from December 15 to January 31. Schools are expected to come out with their first list in the first week of February.
   Speaking on the issue of nursery admission, education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said: “On the issue of nursery admission age we are yet to receive any notice from the high court. For remaining issues we will follow the same guidelines issued last year. There is no change in the process so far.”
   But there are other contentious issues as well, such as the eligibility age for admission to nursery class, EWS admission in higher classes and clarification on compensation to the schools. Schools say they have been waiting for a clarification from the government for over a year now.
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