Delhi HC Issues Notice To AAP Govt On PIL For Nursery, Kindergarten In Govt Schools [Read Petition]

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Aam Aadmi Party government on a PIL for providing nursery and kindergarten education in government schools.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Rajendra Menon issued notice to the government on a PIL moved by Dr Shashi Bhushan Sonbhadra stressing on provision for nursery and kindergarten in government schools as the pupil taking admission in these schools miss out on two important formative years for social, physical and cognitive development.

In a petition filed through advocates Shashank Deo Sudhi, Bijender P Kumar and Dinesh Dakoria, the petitioner sought direction to the government to explore the possibilities of nursery and kindergarten education in all the government schools of NCT of Delhi on the lines of private schools.

“…the government schools of NCT of Delhi have no provision of nursery and kindergarten education unlike the private schools and as such they are missing two years of education as the students are directly taking admission at first standard at the age of five years. The two years of missed education can lead to significant learning gap from the students of private schools. Hence there is a requirement of all students having nursery and kindergarten education compulsorily,” the petition said.

It further emphasised on the need for transport facility for students while highlighting how there is a huge crowd of students and private vehicles outside government schools at the beginning and end of the school hours.

Besides, the petitioner sought direction for urgent filling up of vacancies in government schools, saying the standard of government schools of NCT of Delhi has gone down to the worst as the pass percentage of government schools of NCT of Delhi fell to 69.32 percent in the year 2018 from 92.44 percent in the year 2017. It is further submitted that out of the total 13,663 students who appeared for Class X Board examination from 990 government schools of NCT of Delhi in the year 2018, only 9,660 managed to pass the examination.

The petition is now listed for November 2.