DoE issues guidelines for admission to Delhi govt-run special schools

The Directorate of Education (DoE) has issued guidelines for admission to Delhi government-run special schools for entry-level classes, as well as Classes 1 to 9 and 11.

According to a circular dated March 6, students who have passed their previous class from a recognised school will be directly admitted to Classes 6 to 9.

Meanwhile, out-of-school children seeking admission to Class 6 will have to undergo an assessment to evaluate their basic literacy and numeracy skills.

For Classes 7 and 8, students who have not studied in a recognised school can be admitted based on a simple undertaking from their parents. However, admission to Class 9 is strictly limited to students who have passed the previous class from a recognised institution.

Students transferring from feeder schools with valid documents will be exempt from the age criteria, and school heads may grant a six-month relaxation if requested by parents.

The age requirements for admission to government special schools are determined based on class levels as of March 31 of the academic year. For entry-level classes, the prescribed age range is between three to seven years for nursery, four to eight years for kindergarten, five to nine years for Class 1, six to eleven years for Class 2, seven to twelve years for Class 3, eight to thirteen years for Class 4, and nine to fourteen years for Class 5.

For mid-level classes, students between ten to sixteen years will be eligible for Class 6, those between eleven to seventeen years for Class 7, twelve to eighteen years for Class 8, and thirteen to nineteen years for Class 9. For admission to Class 11, students must be between fifteen and twenty-one years old.

The guidelines also mention that in some cases, depending on the class level and school discretion, relaxations of up to six months may be granted.

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The DoE has also specified the eligibility criteria for admission to Class 11, stating that students who have passed the secondary school examination (Class 10) will be eligible. Students who have completed Class 10 from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) institutions must have secured at least fifty percent in five subjects to opt for humanities without skill subjects and forty-five percent for humanities with skill subjects.

For children with disabilities, the DoE has outlined specific admission requirements. Students applying to schools for the blind must provide either a disability certificate or a Unique Disability ID (UDID) card.

Admission for students with intellectual disabilities will be limited to those classified under moderate to profound disabilities based on IQ levels. Additionally, priority will be given to students residing in Trans-Yamuna areas due to transport limitations.

For hearing-impaired students, only those with severe to profound hearing loss, above sixty-one decibels, will be eligible. Additional assessments, such as a PTA (hearing test) and IQ test, will also be required.

All admissions will be conducted online through the official DoE website. Preference will be given to students who have siblings already studying in government special schools.

While children residing in Delhi will be prioritised, non-resident applicants may apply for hostel facilities, but only if seats remain vacant after admitting all eligible Delhi-based students. Finally, the DoE has clarified that admissions will be subject to seat availability, and if applications exceed the number of available seats, a draw of lots will be conducted.

(With inputs from PTI)