Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved several Bills including Delhi School Education Amendment Bill 2015 and Delhi Schools Verification of Accounts and Refund of Excess Fee Act 2015 which allow that any school or person can face maximum 10 years of imprisonment for interviewing any child or his or her parents for admission to nursery classes in the national Capital. The Act has provisions to de-recognise those schools who fail to comply with the directions of the Director (Education). After the cabinet approval, the Bills would be tabled at Delhi Assembly’s winter session beginning from Wednesday.
The draft Bill said, “An entrylevel class means and includes a preprimary or preschool class where children below six years of age are admitted. Screening procedure means the method of selection for admission of a child, in preference over another, other than a random method.”
The draft said any school or person, if in contravention of the provisions of the Act subjects a child to screening procedure for admission to an entry level class, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 5 years but which may extend up to 10 years given that the court may, for any adequate and special reason to be recorded in writing, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term, which may be less than five years.
The draft said if the manager of the recognised school fails to comply with any of the directions issued by Director or any other authority under this Act, the Director may, after considering the explanation or report, if any, given or made by the manager, take such action, as he may think fit. The proposed action by the Director would include written warning to the school, with directions to take remedial or corrective measures as directedIJ stoppage of aid, if anyIJ imposition of fineIJ in case of embezzlement of schoolfund or concealment of income generated from the fee, recovery of the said amount and depositing thereof in the Governmentaccount or any other account directedIJ suspension of admission at entrylevel class or classes for a particular year with a cumulative effectIJ taking over the management of the schoolIJ de-recognition of the school.
The draft said whoever contravenes the provisions of this Act or the rules shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine which may be minimum of Rs 1 lakh and further extendable to Rs 5 lakh, provided that the court may, for any adequate and special reason to be recorded in writing, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term, which may be less than three years.