Nursery admission process begins in private schools, parents brace to secure seat

Indore: Admissions in nursery at prominent private schools of the city have started with form distribution. Parents are bracing for cut-throat competition to secure admissions for their wards in the pre-primary section.
Many renowned private schools have floated their admission forms for parents to register their wards. Many schools have also planned one-on-one interactions with the parents and their wards seeking admission in the schools, while others are likely to follow admissions based on the school's preference.
City schools this year are receiving a good response from parents, with many preferring to enrol their children for formal schooling from the elementary classes instead of the previous practice of admission in a nearby preschool.
"Many schools have started the admission process for nursery and LKG now. The schools are also flooded with plenty of enquiries regarding the admissions process and age criteria. After Covid, parents this year are once again shifting to formal education right from Nursery instead of choosing a nearby preschool," Indore Sahodaya Group of CBSE Schools chairperson Poonam Shekhawat told TOI.
With city schools starting nursery admissions, parents are also anxious over limited seats, varying selection processes, divergent timelines, and exorbitant fees.
"It's very stressful. We are visiting the good schools of the city and trying to understand the teaching method and other facilities. We are applying at multiple schools, but the uncertainty of securing a spot for our child is daunting. Unless our child gets admission in a school, our anxiety levels will remain high," said Hemali Rathore, mother of a 4-year-old.
Making the parents understand the 3-year age criteria for Nursery has become a challenge for the schools. Earlier, this year, Madhya Pradesh school education department had issued an order regarding the minimum age for admission in pre-primary and primary classes as per the National Education Policy (NEP).
"NEP 2020 mandates a 3-year age criteria for Nursery admissions, but it is very difficult for us to make the parents understand the age criteria. Many parents whose ward does not fall in the criteria keep requesting for admission. Parents need to admit the children as per the set age criteria and not rush for any competition," said Manoj Bajpai, a CBSE school principal from the city.