New Delhi: The Directorate of Education (DoE) has issued guidelines for admissions to Delhi government special schools. In a circular dated March 6, 2025, the DoE stated that students who have passed their previous classes from a recognized school will receive direct admission to Classes 6 to 9. Students who have not passed from a recognized school but wish to join Classes 7 or 8 can enroll by submitting an undertaking from their parents. Out-of-school students seeking admission to Class 6 must take a basic assessment to evaluate their literacy and numerical skills.
Students transferring from feeder schools with valid documents do not need to meet the age requirement. If parents request, the school head may allow a six-month age relaxation. The age criteria for these schools will depend on class levels as of March 31 of the academic year.
Age Limit for Government Special School
For entry-level classes, children aged 3 to 7 can enroll in Nursery, 4 to 8 in Kindergarten, 5 to 9 in Class 1, 6 to 11 in Class 2, 7 to 12 in Class 3, 8 to 13 in Class 4 and 9 to 14 in Class 5. For mid-level classes, the age range is 10 to 16 years for Class 6, 11 to 17 years for Class 7, 12 to 18 years for Class 8 and 13 to 19 years for Class 9. Students applying for Class 11 must be between 15 and 21 years old.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for Class 11 admission, students must pass Class 10. Those who completed Class 10 through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) must score at least 50% in five subjects to opt for Humanities without skill subjects and 45% with skill subjects. The DoE requires blind students to submit a disability certificate or a Unique Disability ID (UDID) card for admission.
Admissions for students with intellectual disabilities depend on IQ levels and remain limited. Schools will admit hearing-impaired students only if their hearing loss exceeds 61 dB and they must undergo additional assessments such as a hearing and IQ test.
All admissions will take place online. Schools will give preference to Delhi residents and students whose siblings are already enrolled in government special schools. Non-resident students may apply for hostel facilities but only if seats remain after accommodating Delhi-based students. Admission decisions will depend on seat availability. If applications exceed available seats, schools will conduct a draw of lots to finalize admissions.
