As the new academic season begins, Kashmiri schools are once again filled with parents clutching files, rehearsing answers, and praying their children get through. The air carries both excitement and anxiety. What should be a warm introduction to education often feels like an audition, one where a child's innocence meets a panel's scrutiny.

In many homes, parents spend nights filling long forms, chasing documents, and polishing introductions. The idea of“admission” has become less about learning and more about performance. The question that remains is simple: what should really matter when a school decides to admit a child?

The process has grown complex and, at times, troubling. Schools ask for everything, from the parents' qualifications to their residence and income details. Some go further, holding interviews where parents report being asked personal or religious questions.“Do you follow any particular faith?”“Does the father keep a beard?”“Does the mother wear a hijab?”“Do you allow your child to sing or dance?”“Which festivals do you celebrate?”

These may seem harmless on the surface, but they strike at the core of equality and privacy. Religion and appearance are deeply personal. When a school evaluates parents through such questions, it risks turning education into exclusion. A beard or hijab has no connection with a child's curiosity, confidence, or capacity to learn.

In a secular system, schools are meant to be safe spaces where diversity is respected. Asking about faith or personal lifestyle not only violates the spirit of education but also teaches the wrong lesson, that acceptance depends on conformity.

When a five-year-old watches parents questioned about what they wear or believe, they learn early what society values most: appearances over essence.

What schools should really look for is simpler, and far more human. Does the child show curiosity, empathy, and readiness to learn? Are parents supportive, disciplined, and willing to work with teachers? These qualities matter more than status, profession, or religious background.

A meaningful interaction could begin with:“How do you encourage your child's creativity?” or“What kind of values would you like your child to learn here?” Such questions connect schools and parents through shared goals, not stereotypes.

Rejection is another part of the story. Many children are turned away because they appear shy or less expressive in interviews. Sometimes, it's about the parent's social standing. The heartbreak that follows often makes families question their worth.

But most rejections have little to do with the child's potential and more with the system's narrow filters.

Before choosing a school, parents must look beyond reputation. Visit the classrooms, observe how teachers speak to students, and check if the school respects all communities equally. Education begins with the values a school lives by, not the buildings it flaunts.

A good school is one that treats every child with dignity, welcomes every parent with fairness, and protects every belief with respect. When education begins with empathy, admission a promise than a process.

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