Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
More pupils allotted to exam centres than intake capacity
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, (MSBSHSE) has allocated more students than can be accommodated in the exam centres, resulting in panic among principals of many schools. The students are currently writing their Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations. A total of 3.54 lakh students from the MSBSHSE’s Mumbai division, which includes Mumbai city and suburbs, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad, are appearing for the Class 10 exams. The majority of students, or 1.16 lakh, are from Thane, while South Mumbai has only 30,850 students.
A higher number of students than in past years have been reported at some schools in the city that are hosting examinations.
A Chembur-based school with a seating capacity of 250 students was allotted 500 students for the Class 10 examinations. The principal was finally forced to start online classes for the school’s regular students from Classes 1 to 9 and take over a primary section to accommodate all the examinees.
A similar situation has been observed in many other Mumbai schools, and teachers’ unions have expressed their displeasure in this regard.
“The number of students allotted to us has increased, and we have to accommodate them all,” said the principal of the school. “MSBSHSE wanted us to accept 50 additional students even after this, but we were unable to make the necessary arrangements. But we did ensure the success of the board exams.”
Sudhir Ghagas, principal, Padmashri Annasaheb Jadhav School, Bhiwandi, said that MSBSHSE “suddenly sent 1,000 Class 10 and 533 Class 12 examinees” to his school though there was barely space for 700 to 750. “Due to this, we have converted our school auditorium into five classrooms, rented benches, and also arranged for some students to sit in a nearby BNN college,” he said.
Jalindar Sarode, an officebearer of teachers’ union Shikshak Bharti, said that MSBSHSE had allotted students this year without any discussion with schools and colleges. “Due to the chaos that ensued, many principals needed to make lastminute arrangements,” he said.