Dharavi school kicks out 30 school kids over ‘lottery’ admission system

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In a shocking incident, around 30 senior KG students of a convent school in Dharavi were asked to leave the school and look for admission elsewhere on the day of their results.

While the parents were busy collecting the mark-sheet of their wards on April 21, the school authorities made an announcement stating that they would be unable to accommodate the 30 students and that parents should find another school for their kids.

Until two years back, the school had classes till class four, which they later extended till seventh standard. Since the infrastructure remained unchanged, the school decided to use a lottery system to decide who remains in school and who would be asked to leave. The 30 students essentially failed to ‘win’ the lottery and get admission in class one.

Parents were left fuming over school’s abrupt decision. One of the parents, while speaking to a city daily said, “We took admission to this school because the school recently extended till class VII. We hoped that it will extend further and we will not have to look for another school for our children in the near future. But to our shock, the school has asked us to look for another institution just after senior KG. Moreover, the school did not even bother to give us any notice. They are telling it on the day of the result, when all other nearby schools’ admissions are almost over. It is not easy to look for admission in class I.”

Meanwhile, Shaan Illahi, joint secretary of suburb, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Mumbai, who is helping the worried parents, plans to move to the concerned authorities if the school fails to provide an appropriate solution.