Govt steps in to clear air on promotion of kids in preschool classes
DSEK directs Tyndale Biscoe, Mallinson School to promote kids to classes prospectively
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| Mubashir Khan for GK |
Srinagar, Mar 13: The School Education Department (SED) has stepped in to clear the air regarding promotion of kids Nursery to kindergarten classes prospectively to avoid "mental trauma" of students.
The development comes amid the confusion prevailing among parents and the school management over adoption of new age criteria to be followed for promotion of school kids in pre-primary classes.
As already reported by Greater Kashmir, the private schools in Kashmir were facing a peculiar problem about how to deal with the age limit regarding the 5-year Foundational Stage (Nursery+LKG+UKG+1+2). This created confusion among parents of the kids who are already enrolled in these schools.
In wake of this, the Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson school had dropped the message to the parents to follow a particular chart which would mean that no child below the recommended age limit can be promoted to the next grade.
On Monday, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) issued instructions to the school management to accede to the request of the parents on priority in order to avoid any further mental trauma of students.
"A lot of parents visited this office with the grievance of promotion of their wards in pre-school classes which is taking a heavy toll on the mental health of their children as well as the parents. Earlier the same grievance was amicably resolved in this office when your concerned team was present," reads the DSEK letter addressed to Principal Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson school.
"As such you are requested to accede to the request of the parents on priority in order to avoid any further mental trauma of students," the letter reads.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved parents complained that they demanded prospective implementation of NEP-2020 during the upcoming academic year (2023).
"Earlier in a meeting held at DSEK, it was amicably resolved that the adoption of NEP-2020 is prospective and none of the previous batches enrolled in the school since 2020-2021 would be affected and accordingly the students shall be promoted to next higher class as per the old academic structure of the school," the parents said.
They said the school recently called parents to give consent for such promotion, however, a notification was circulated among official telegram groups about age-appropriated promotion which gave a notion of affecting previous batches which would be a psychological agony to innocent students and highly unacceptable.
“Our wards, after completion of curriculum meant for their standard, are curiously waiting to go into the 1st class by March 2023. Their retention in previous class for another year will have long lasting psychological impressions on their mind resulting not only in loss of self-confidence but they may also develop a sense of inferiority compared to their fellow batch mates in any other school of the Valley," the parents said.
The parents said the school management should strictly implement the directions issued by DSEK and do away with creating confusion among parents and students. Greater Kashmir
