As the final stage of nursery admissions in Delhi's private schools approaches, a critical selection factor has become a major source of anxiety and confusion for numerous families. The criterion in question is the distance between a child's home and the school, which carries the highest weightage in the points-based system, yet is being measured in shockingly inconsistent ways across institutions.
A Maze of Measurement Methods
There is no standard rule for how schools calculate this all-important distance. Investigations reveal a patchwork of methodologies: some institutions rely on Google Maps to determine the shortest travel route, while others use a straight-line or radial distance measured 'as the crow flies'. A few schools go by their own designated transport routes, and some even consider entire neighbourhoods or colonies as a single unit, rather than measuring from individual residential addresses.
This lack of uniformity leads to wildly varying results for the same child. Parents highlight a glaring inequity: a child living at a specific address might secure a high score in one school but a significantly lower one in another, purely based on the institution's chosen calculation method. "The government must clearly announce which method should be followed," asserts Aprajita Gautam, President of the Delhi Parents' Association, pinpointing the core of the problem.
High Stakes and Arbitrary Lists
The proximity criterion is not just another box to tick; it dominates the admission matrix. While factors like sibling preference or alumni status fetch fewer points, distance can account for up to 60 or even 70 points out of a school's total. A principal of a South Delhi school explained that distance is prioritised to ensure shorter commutes for young children, and within broad government guidelines, each school frames its own matrix.
However, this freedom creates practical nightmares. Deepali Raina, a parent from Dwarka, shared her frustrating experience: "There are many schools close to my house, but we are not getting any points in one of them because our colony isn't listed. In the case of another nearby school, which uses Google Maps, we scored well. Same address, completely different result." Parents complain that colony-based lists are often outdated or drawn arbitrarily, excluding nearby residential pockets.
Transport Hurdles and Calls for Transparency
The confusion deepens in areas where physical distance is short but transportation connectivity is poor. Some colonies situated near schools lack direct bus routes. Consequently, schools that use 'transport distance' instead of 'aerial distance' classify these children as living farther away, unfairly penalising them.
This inconsistency raises concerns about potential bias. "Allotting marks based on colonies instead of actual distance can lead to discrimination. There may be cases where schools prefer children from certain areas and exclude others. That possibility cannot be ignored," warns Aprajita Gautam. She advocates for a digital and transparent solution: "Ideally, Google Maps is a good option. It is practical and transparent. Even today, when EWS admission forms are filled, distance is calculated digitally. The same system should be extended here as well."
For now, parents are left to navigate this labyrinth of contradictory criteria, hoping their home address aligns favourably with a school's chosen yardstick, all while questioning why a fundamental rule is applied so differently from one gate to the next.
