Years lost, before school begins

New Delhi: A seven-year-old girl waits at home with a school bag bought when she was four, the year her parents first applied under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota. Years of delays and repeated admission cycles have pushed her past the age she was meant to start school. There are many like her, and her case highlights a growing concern about children losing crucial early learning years while navigating the EWS system. By the time admission comes through, many are older than their classmates and lack basic foundational skills. Parents say even if they are admitted now, they will need special support to catch up.Across the city, parents say such delays are no longer isolated cases. Instead, they point to systemic hurdles in which procedural requirements and documentation gaps repeatedly stall admissions. Jeenat, a resident of Seelampur, said her child’s application has remained pending for over two years because the child’s name has not been updated in official records.“Despite applying long ago, we are now being told that the child’s name must appear on documents such as the ration card, along with updated certificates, before the admission process can move forward. Until then, no seat can be allotted,” she said.These delays, according to experts, are not merely administrative but have long-term implications for children.In another case, a six-year-old boy missed his entry year more than once as his family struggles to meet changing eligibility criteria. Each admission cycle brings new requirements, forcing families to restart the process instead of moving ahead.For Sonu Kumar, even a single missed cycle has meant the loss of an entire academic year. “My child’s name did not appear last year, and this year too the process has stalled,” he said. “The tightening of documentation rules has made things worse. We are being asked for documents with current addresses, which is difficult for migrant families who frequently change homes,” he added.Education experts warn that such delays can have lasting and, in some cases, irreversible effects. Early childhood is a critical period for cognitive development, language acquisition and social learning. Missing these foundational years can affect not only academic progress but also classroom readiness, including communication skills, attention span and peer interaction.“Education must remain independent of identity, and every child should have equal access to it. However, what we see on the ground suggests otherwise,” said Sanjay Gupta, director of Chetna NGO. “Systemic gaps continue to exclude children over procedural and documentation issues, raising questions about awareness and the design of these provisions,” he added.Gupta said that in several cases, admissions are denied due to minor discrepancies, such as mismatched names of parents on Aadhaar cards. “Rejecting applications on such technical grounds defeats the purpose of inclusion. The intent behind the EWS provision is strong, but its implementation needs urgent review. Processes must be simplified, reliance on rigid documentation reduced, and access to education ensured without procedural delays,” he said.Teachers say that by the time these children secure admission, they have already lost critical learning years. “Many need to be placed in bridge or remedial classes to reach age-appropriate learning levels before joining regular classrooms, and only then are they able to cope,” a teacher said.Where such support is absent, children often struggle to follow lessons, participate in class and build confidence. This can lead to frustration, low self-esteem and, in some cases, a higher risk of dropping out, teachers warn.As a result, families find themselves in a difficult position despite their efforts to secure education for their children. The outcome is a silent backlog of children waiting to begin school — losing not just time, but vital years of learning and development.