Mumbai
Edition, 12th July 2008
With
Junior College Admissions Stalled, ICSE & CBSE Students
Are Applying To National And International Boards
Mumbai:
In the past 10 days, Malini Goyal, principal of
Lokhandwala Foundation School, has received at least 30
to 40 applications from CBSE and ICSE students wanting to
join Class XI in her institution, which offers the ISC certificate.
Interestingly, admissions for the ISC began in June and
classes have already begun.
The Kendriya Vidyalaya at the IIT-Powai campus Powai, has
seen a huge influx of students wanting admissions to Class
XI this year, so much so that it started an additional division
for science.
With admissions to junior colleges offering the HSC thrown
out of gear due to the ongoing court stay, ISC and CBSE
institutions are being approached by a higher than usual
number of students wanting to join their Class XI.
Most of these students hail from the ICSE and CBSE boards
themselves. Several feel they have been served a raw deal
by the state government, which this year brought in marks
normalisation to bring the scores of the students of all
boards on par for the purpose of junior college admissions.
ICSE and CBSE students felt their SSC counterparts benefited
from the exercise.
Ranjeet Singh, in-charge principal at Kendriya Vidyalaya,
Powai, said that last year his school ran three divisions—two
for science and one for commerce—each comprising about
45 students each. But this year the number of students wanting
to study at his institution has seen a steep rise. “We
have admitted about 53 students in each division and started
one more division for science,’’ said Singh.
The requisite permission was sought from the KV Sangathan.
In fact, several students from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bhandup,
which does not offer commerce in Class XI, were also admitted
to the Powai institution.
A similar scenario is unfolding at other places. The Lokhandwala
Foundation School, which offers the ISC, has conducted several
“late admissions’’ in the past week after
ICSE and CBSE students approached Goyal. The ISC college
offers humanities, science and commerce. “If the state
wanted to announce a new policy, it should have done so
in advance. What the government has done has destroyed the
mental peace of students and parents,’’ Goyal
said.
There has been a surge in applications at international
schools too. Vandana Lulla, principal of Podar International
High School, said applications for the IB diploma have gone
up by about 30% to 40% this year. Most applicants, said
Lulla, hail from the CBSE and ICSE boards.
Rustom Kerawala, head of Vibgyor High, said he has received
about 100 applications for the 48 seats he has in the IB
programme. This is “better than expected’’,
he said. About 70% of the applications, he added, are from
ICSE students.
In the past few days, the Utpal Sanghvi School has received
eight applications from ICSE students. “Students are
facing a harrowing time with the junior college admissions
this year. I have received some applications, but I don’t
have seats,’’ said Abha Dharam Pal, principal
of the school which offers the IB diploma.
SCHOOL
REGISTER
Non-HSC
boards in 2007-08 in the Mumbai region ICSE: 52 schools
till Class X | Only 7 of them offer the ISC (classes XI
& XII) CBSE: 32-odd schools up to Class X | Only 22-odd
go upto Class XII Note: At least one more school, Christchurch,
plans to open Class XI for 2008-09
