CHENNAI: Rain and an extended weekend disrupted kindergarten admissions on Vijayadasami, considered auspicious to begin formal education, in some parts of Chennai.Government schools in Chennai, where KG sections were recently inaugurated, were disappointed that the admission rates fell by almost 30% than expected.“Seven students enrolled for pre-kindergarten on Friday. We expect five more students, who have travelled to their native place for the festive weekend, to join on Monday,” said Kanmani, headmistress of Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School, Egmore.At private nursery and primary schools, the number of admissions was less in the morning but it picked up momentum as rain subsided. P Perumal, who wanted to enroll his two-and-a-half-yearold son at a school in Nanganallur, said he was unable to step out till noon because of the heavy downpour.“I didn’t want it to be a bad experience for my son on day one of schooling. So postponed it,” he said.Admissions were brisk in parts of the city and state where it did not rain. M K Krishnaraj, president of Tamil Nadu Nursery and Primary Schools Association, said the government allowed private educational institutions to continue entry-level admissions till October 30.Some parents who are not keen on admitting their children on Vijayadasami, would approach schools on Monday, he said.“But a majority managed to admit their children, particularly in top schools where the demand is high. As per the present norms, no school is allowed to admit more than 150 students in five sections at KG level. One needs to obtain a special permission to admit more than this limit,” he said.R Vishalakshi, correspondent at a private school, said some parents who had gone on a holiday had already finished the admission process on Wednesday before they left the city and their wards would would come to school regularly from Monday.Before driving them to schools, many parents took their children to neighbouring temples for ‘vidyarambham’, a tradition in which alphabets are written on tongues of children with golden rings.

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