Anahita Mukherji I TNN
Mumbai: It’s a case of the slumdog versus the millionaire, say parents of Andheri’s Seth Madhavdas Amarsee High School, who staged a protest against the school management on Tuesday.
The school—an aided SSC institution that had more than 4,000 students in the Gujarati, English and Marathimedium sections—has shut down KG to Std VI in the Gujarati section and has stopped admissions to junior KG in the English medium over the past few years. The management has started an ICSE school on the same premises.
While parents protest against the fact that affordable education for poor students is giving way to a school for the elite, the management claims it was forced to shut down the Gujarati medium sections as they had no takers.
“Four years ago, the management shut down junior and senior KG for the Gujarati section. Two years ago, they stopped Stds I to IV in Gujarati. Last year, they discontinued junior KG for English medium students and they plan to do away with senior KG (English) this year,’’ said Arvind Falsamkar, a parent.
However, Dr Leena Dalal, president of the Andheri education trust that runs the school said, “We had to do away with these sections as there was no demand for them,’’ she said. “We started an ICSE section because we felt the need to offer an ICSE education.’’
Falsamkar, however, said, “After the primary section was shut, many kids were shifted to other Gujarati schools.’’ Dalal denied knowledge of this, and cited an education department provision whereby 20 students were required to run a division.
Falsamkar added that poor students sought admission to the SSC section of the school and they could not afford to study in the ICSE school.
Mumbai: It’s a case of the slumdog versus the millionaire, say parents of Andheri’s Seth Madhavdas Amarsee High School, who staged a protest against the school management on Tuesday.
The school—an aided SSC institution that had more than 4,000 students in the Gujarati, English and Marathimedium sections—has shut down KG to Std VI in the Gujarati section and has stopped admissions to junior KG in the English medium over the past few years. The management has started an ICSE school on the same premises.
While parents protest against the fact that affordable education for poor students is giving way to a school for the elite, the management claims it was forced to shut down the Gujarati medium sections as they had no takers.
“Four years ago, the management shut down junior and senior KG for the Gujarati section. Two years ago, they stopped Stds I to IV in Gujarati. Last year, they discontinued junior KG for English medium students and they plan to do away with senior KG (English) this year,’’ said Arvind Falsamkar, a parent.
However, Dr Leena Dalal, president of the Andheri education trust that runs the school said, “We had to do away with these sections as there was no demand for them,’’ she said. “We started an ICSE section because we felt the need to offer an ICSE education.’’
Falsamkar, however, said, “After the primary section was shut, many kids were shifted to other Gujarati schools.’’ Dalal denied knowledge of this, and cited an education department provision whereby 20 students were required to run a division.
Falsamkar added that poor students sought admission to the SSC section of the school and they could not afford to study in the ICSE school.
The school has shut a few classes in the Gujarati section and has started an ICSE institution there.
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1 comment:
Mr Falsamkar has a very clear agenda and political aspirations and will stop at nothing including blatant lies, coersion of parents and staff to gain political mileage. It is necessary to look below the surface and examine motives, like his wanting to contest the next municipal elections. He has sought the backing of every known and unknown political party and even taken the backing of Nava Kal newspaper whose editor is known to stop at nothing, even underhanded and extortionist means to achieve fame notoriety and increased circulation of her tabloid.
It would appear that the management will need to learn the principles of goondaism and dishonesty if they are to combat thie kind of blatant criminal activity he espouses.
How many Gujrati parents would prefer their children to lose out in the job market merely because they could not speak in English? Even Modi has realised the importance of English in Gujrati schools and is working towards raising the English Standard. Mr Falsamkar wants poor students to lose out on better paying jobs than available to adults who speak only Gujrati and keep them suppressed for the sake of his political career.
Have the parents of MA school lost the ability to think for themselves? Perhaps not entirely, because they are not sending their cildren to the Gujrati medium any more!
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