NON-HSC OPTIONS TO THE FORE

With Junior College Admissions Stalled, ICSE & CBSE Students Are Applying To National And International Boards

Hemali Chhapia | TNN

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

SUSPENDED IN SUSPENSE: Students enquire at an admissions counter at Ruia College on Friday, while the nearby Podar College in Matunga displays a board announcing admissions are stayed.