PUNE: The state education department has withdrawn the stay order on admissions to pre-primary and primary classes in school in the state. For the academic year 2014-15, schools can carry out the admission procedure as usual, but from 2015-16, a common admission schedule will have to be followed.

The education department had on November 22 instructed its district education officers to stay admissions in schools irrespective of the board they followed. It was decided that all schools will have to follow a common admission schedule.

However, voices of concern were raised from all corners. Central Board For Secondary Education said they start the procedure much earlier than state board schools. Some school managements said they were half-way through the admission procedure and it was impossible for them to do it all over again.

Despite issuing orders to stop admission procedure to pre-primary and primary classes, several schools in the city continued with the process leaving parents confused. A meeting of school managements and the state education department was conducted on Friday where the schools apprised director of education Mahavir Mane and district education officer Mushtak Shaikh about their concerns.

Speaking to TOI on Sunday, Shaikh said, “After the notice was issued to stay admission procedure on November 22, schools complained to us that it would disturb their timetable. Also, many said that their schools begin the new academic year in February. Some managements said they were half-way through the admission procedure and parents would complain if it was carried out all over again.”

Considering these issues, the department decided to withdraw the stay order for the time being allowing schools to conduct the admissions as per their convenience. “It was also decided that starting from 2015-16, a common schedule will be released. Schools were not able to give an excuse at that time as they will have enough time to plan and prepare,” Shaikh said.

Principal of a CBSE board school, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We are happy that the state education department has withdrawn the stay order. We are almost in the last stage of admissions and since the order was issued, we were worried.”

The directorate of education issued a notice on November 22 to education officers across the state directing them to stop any ongoing admissions in schools or even distribute application forms. The common schedule applies for admissions to all pre-primary and primary schools, but not standalone kindergartens. The notification stated that the admission process can start only two months before schools reopen for the new academic year.

However, despite this notification, many schools have continued with the admissions and many of the school websites have also put up notices regarding the admission procedure. Gauri Mane, a parent who wants to admit her son in class I, said, “We do not mind waiting as per government orders, but the school in which I want to admit my son was conducting the admission procedure despite the government orders. I was confused because if I wait I might lose out on a seat. But now that the government has withdrawn the order I am reassured.”

Source
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Pune/State-lifts-stay-on-primary-admissions/articleshow/27760769.cms