Mumbai: As Cathedral Vidya School in Lonavala shuts, parents struggle for alternatives for wards

According to many parents, the schools in cities are becoming a more expensive affair. Some are even willing to look for a buyer for the school as the necessary infrastructure is already in place.

As CVSL shuts, parents struggle for alternatives for wards

A meeting was held between parents and representatives from the school management on Monday. (File Photo)

Even as the management of the Cathedral Vidya School in Lonavala (CVSL) has decided to shut the school, the parents are not ready to accept it yet. They are demanding that the school should run at least for a year so that all have enough time to look for alternatives.

The parents said they are still coming out of the shock of the abrupt closure of the school, a day before the new academic year was to start. While most of them are struggling to find alternative schools for their wards at the last moment; several are trying all possible options to make the school stay open.

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Some have even taken to Twitter, urging Anand Mahindra, chairperson, Mahindra and Mahindra Group, to intervene considering his earlier association with Vineet Nayyar, vice-chairman of the school’s management who was formerly associated with Tech Mahindra.

A meeting was held between parents and representatives from the school management on Monday. “It was shocking that the management never expressed the issues earlier. We as parents could have contributed to a solution. After the sudden announcement on Saturday, our request to run the school for a year at least wasn’t met with a positive response,” a parent said, hoping that the education ministry takes cognisance of the matter.

While the parents are still exploring the possibility of legal action, the focus right now is to ensure no academic loss of children. “Many are evidently under stress as their school closed down a day before it was to start a new session. Not only is it difficult to get the same subject combination in other schools, there are not as many options available for boarding schools,” another parent said.

According to many parents, the schools in cities are becoming a more expensive affair. Some are even willing to look for a buyer for the school as the necessary infrastructure is already in place.

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Francis Joseph, from the School Leaders Network who has been helping the affected parents after the abrupt closure of the school, has appealed to Anand Mahindra, seeking his support to revive Vineet Nayyar’s larger vision of making CVSL one of the best international schools in the country. After he tweeted about this, many supported his call on the social media platform.

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According to the management however, that is not an option, “What can he do? He is from the technology field,” said Reva Nayyar from the Board of Governance at CVSL. She added that the management’s priority right now is to ensure that the children are accommodated in other schools, the staff find new jobs and all vendors working with the school are paid off fully. “The priorities are being addressed in that order. It is only later that we will explore if there are people who want to come to help revive the school,” she said.

Pallavi Smart

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More