No show for pre-school kids on Day 1 of session

Parents reach Santacruz school on academic year's first day only to be told that the institute would open in July; express anger at being made to pay fees for June in advance

Parents who have newly enrolled their kids in the pre-primary section of Podar School are seeing red.

They claim that they were told at the eleventh hour, that the first day of pre-school, which was scheduled for yesterday, has been deferred by almost a month.


Some parents claim that the failure of the authorities to procure new buses equipped with enhanced safety norms is the reason for the deferment of the school's opening

Podar pre-school teacher-in-charge Swati Popat has however denied all the allegations, claiming that the session has been postponed only by a week.

Oblivious parents arrived at the school premises with their kids in tow last morning, only to find a notice announcing the postponement of the new academic session to next month.

Parentspeak
Irate and bewildered parents spoke out against the school authorities for their alleged laxity.
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Cynthia D'Souza (name changed), a parent, said, "I have no idea why the school authorities have postponed the academic session for the pre-school section. It appears that the date has been shifted to July.
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This is gross injustice. They took the fees in advance from us, even for additional services like conveyance on school buses. Why should we pay fees for the month of June when the school opens in July?"

Another parent echoed D'Souza's views, saying, "When we reported at the school premises with our kids, we were shocked and frustrated to see the notice.

They should have at least shown us the courtesy of informing us, via a message or call, to save us the futile trip.

Moreover, some authorities have been attributing the postponement to the fact that the new school buses have not yet arrived. If the buses aren't even there, then why did they collect transport fees 12 months in advance?"

Sheila Shah (name changed), another parent, said, "I have no idea why they decided to reschedule the first day of pre-school. Bus services have been erratic earlier."

The Other Side
Swati Popat, director of Podar Jumbo Kids, however, dismissed the claims made by the parents. "We have not deferred school because of the non-arrival of buses from manufacturers.

The monsoon usually begins on June 15 every year, but arrived early this year. The school is located in Santacruz, which is a low-lying area and experiences heavy flooding.

To save parents the inconvenience of wading through water with their toddlers, we decided to defer the date to next Monday or Tuesday. All the information was given to the parents last week itself," she said

It's time for schools and colleges across the city to reopen for the new academic session. Keeping this in mind, MiD DAY will be bringing you a series of reports on significant issues related to the sphere of education.

The stories will range from safety guidelines for school buses to the contentious issue of fee hikes.

Also on the agenda will be the upcoming SSC results and the online admission procedures for educational institutions in the city. Remember, knowledge is power.