HC decision on schools' plea a relief to parents: Sisodia

Delhi Government today welcomed the high court's decision to decline any interim relief to unaided recognised private schools which had sought quashing of the notification on nursery admission guidelines, and said it would provide a lot of "relief" to the parents.
Education Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi High Court decision was a great "rahaat" (relief) to the parents of the children. He said his government would now launch a helpline for registering nursery admission complaints.
Calling the guidelines issued by the Lieutenant Governor very progressive, Sisodia said that parents would be hugely benefited by the ruling as the admission process would now begin as per schedule.

Asked about the unaided recognised private schools' allegations that the guidelines were an infringement upon their rights to formulate their own admission criteria for 75 per cent seats , Sisodia said providing education is the responsibility of the schools and it is the children who have the right to education.
Justice Manmohan, while issuing notices to Delhi Government and Directorate of Education (DoE), said the petitions required "detailed hearing and it cannot be stayed on the first day".
Terming the Delhi government's notification as arbitrary, senior advocate N K Kaul, appearing for the Action Committee for Unaided Recognised Private Schools, said that at least for the time being the operation of the notification be stayed.

The court, however, refused to stay the notification and fixed the matter for final hearing on March 11.
Meanwhile, Sisodia said the Aam Aadmi Party government was making efforts to make the education system more transparent. "There has to be transparency in the education system from top to bottom," the Education Minister said.
He also held a meeting with senior officials of his department today and discussed matters related to higher education.