No Chinai, MVLU in admission booklet

Updated on: Saturday, May 14, 2011

The junior college online admission booklet is out and almost all schools have already distributed the same to its students. The booklet doesn’t list MVLU and Chinai colleges this year.

“All that we fought for has gone in vain now and even the education department is not helping our cause. If we stop admissions to the college, no student will ever opt for it again,” said Amar Singh, president of the Mumbai Junior College Teachers’ Union (MJCTU). These colleges, run by Laxmi Education Society, have courted controversy for a couple of years now, especially after the management hinted at shutting down the institutes.

Last year, the director of education had ordered the college management to continue admissions. Immediately, the management filed a petition in court after which, the Bombay high court had ordered a stay on admissions. “Last year, the colleges were included in the online system, but no student was admitted due to the court order. This year too, we are relying on the same court order as the matter is sub judice,” said a senior official from the directorate of education.

However, teachers union is unhappy with this reasoning. “As per the HC order, the stay on admissions was effective for the academic year 2010-11. Admissions should have started this year. If we wait for the HC order once again, the management will file a petition to prolong the case once again,” added Singh. He added that the college management has already appealed in the Supreme Court but the plea was dismissed.

“In May 2009, we were assured by the then education minister that a rule will be passed to ensure that no college management shuts down an education institute without the government’s permission. Till date, no rule has been formulated on these lines. This is unfair to students and teachers who are currently teaching at the college,” added Singh.

Presently, the union members are demanding that the government takeover the running of these institutes. “This way, the management will not have its way every time,” added Singh. In a separate development, over 150 FY and SY BCom students of the college have alleged that they have been “deliberately failed” by the college management. After repeated attempts, the college management could not be reached for comments.

Times View

There seems to be a distinct lack of interest in ensuring that the two colleges open again. Thousands of students have passed out of the two colleges, which have been the first port of call for many Std X pass-outs living in the western suburbs. The education department needs to come clean on the issue and put to rest the doubts of lack of will in the government’s resolve to reopen the colleges.

No Chinai, MVLU in admission booklet

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