Powerless School Board plans assistance centres

PUNE, June 1: Even as private schools in the city have commenced the admission process for the new academic year, uncertainty prevails over ...

PUNE, June 1: Even as private schools in the city have commenced the admission process for the new academic year, uncertainty prevails over the powers of the Pune Municipal Corporation PMC school board to recommend children to these schools.

Anxious parents who have not been able to get their wards admitted to prominent private schools in the city have approached the board for assistance, much to the embarrassment of the its members who have been stripped of their powers to recommend children to private schools.

Following a ruling by the Bombay High Court last year, the Maharashtra government had issued a directive to the school board asking it not to initiate the process of recommending wards to private schools.The board authorities are already up in arms against the directive and have held several rounds of talks with State Education Minister Sudhir Joshi, but to no avail.

Talking to newspersons here today, board chairman Datta Ubhe said that the board had challenged the High Court ruling last year and the court had then allowed it to recommend children to the schools. He, however, admitted that the court had then granted the permission as the board had sought applications from parents much before the court ruling.

It may be noted here that a Mumbai-based Forum for Fairness in Education, had filed a writ petition in the High Court last year urging it to frame norms for school admissions. According to the norms framed by the High Court, the schools have been directed to reserve 80 per cent of the seats for students from the areas coming under schools8217; jurisdiction and 20 per cent for those outside such areas.

Ubhe pointed out to mediapersons that for the past two decades the board was assisting the parents who failed to get their wards admitted to private schools. After seeking applications from the parents, the board used to issue a recommendation letter to the principal of the private school requesting him/her to get the ward admitted in their school.

Majority of the schools in the city, except for a few English medium schools, kept 10 per cent of the seats reserved for admitting students recommended by the board. The board members feel that the practice should continue considering that several parents require assistance to get their wards admitted to private schools.

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Hence, notwithstanding the State Government8217;s directives, the board is contemplating to open 8220;assistance centres8221; this year too, Ubhe said. He, however, said that a formal decision to this effect would be taken only after holding talks with the principals of the private schools. A meeting of the principals of the private schools has been called tomorrow at the PMC to discuss the issue, Ubhe said.

Meanwhile, the 11 members of the school board have withdrawn the resignation letters they had submitted to Mayor Vatsala Andekar two days ago.Speaking to media persons here today, board8217;s chairman Datta Ubhe said that he and all the other members have decided to continue in the office following a request by the Mayor and other elected office bearers at the PMC.

The board members, including the chairman and the deputy chairman, had created a sensation at the PMC by tendering resignations en masse.