Schools ignore civic cell recommendations

PUNE, June 12: The fate of a majority of the 3000 kids seeking primary admissions through the assistance cell opened by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) school board hangs in balance as prestigious institutions, both English and Marathi mediums, were reportedly in no mood to honour the recommendations pouring out from the civic corridors.

Though conceding this fact, school board chairman Datta Ubhe today put up a brave face as the recommendation letters, 2010 for English medium and 890 for Marathi medium, were issued to the parents and guardians of the children. He expressed confidence that at least 70 per cent of the civic recommendations would be honoured while efforts would be made to ensure admissions for the remaining.

Ubhe also clarified to mediapersons that the letters from the school board assistance cell were requests and not recommendations. Hence, it was not binding upon the heads of the institutions to honour them. But the school board would be watching for cases of its requests being turned down in an unjust manner.

The board had collected information on donations being demanded and admissions denied to genuine transfer cases at some prestigious institutions, Ubhe said while disclosing to mediapersons that the board would be taking up the matter with state education minister Sudhir Joshi, seeking action against erring institutions.