Orchid International School's Chunabhatti Branch Allegedly Continues Operations Despite Closure Notice; Parents Concerned

Mumbai: Four months after the School Education Department issued a closure notice to Orchid International School in Chunabhatti for operating without the requisite recognition, parents allege that the school’s operations continue largely unchanged, despite changes to uniforms, identity cards and fee payment procedures. The school administration, however, claims that students have been shifted to its Mulund and Kurla branches and that recognition for the Chunabhatti premises is expected soon.

Closure Notice Over Missing Approvals

The closure notice was issued because the Chunabhatti building lacked the requisite approvals, including an occupancy certificate, raising concerns over the legality and safety of its occupation. Following which, an FIR was also filed against the school administration.

During a visit to the premises, students wearing new uniforms were seen dispersing from the building and boarding school buses. Their identity cards carried the words ‘The institute of learning and education’ instead of the school’s name. Parents said the uniforms had also been changed, with the school logo removed from the front and back of T-shirts or replaced with the words ‘learning centre’.

Parents Report Changes In Fees

“Earlier, we could make payments through the app, but now we are required to go to the school and pay the fees,” said a parent.

Another parent said the school’s day-to-day functioning remained largely unchanged despite the administrative changes. “While registering the APAAR IDs of the students, we were given the option of choosing either the Mulund or Kurla branch. We have done that accordingly. All the operations of the school are running as usual; only these administrative changes have been made. There has been no communication from the school on when the issue will be resolved,” the parent said.

Class X Students Face Uncertainty

The uncertainty has also raised concerns among Class X students appearing for their examinations this academic year, particularly over the documents they will receive after completing school.

“The Class X students who will be passing out this year face even more uncertainty, as they do not know what their leaving certificates will display,” said another parent.

School Claims Students Were Shifted

The school administration maintained that students enrolled at the Chunabhatti branch had been shifted to the Mulund and Kurla branches. It said the process of securing recognition for the Chunabhatti premises was underway.

“We expect to receive the occupancy certificate of the building by the end of this month and subsequently clear the documents for official recognition of the school,” a school authority said.

However, officials from the School Education Department said an inspection found that students had been moved to other branches and that the activities continuing in the Chunabhatti building were private tuitions, which fell outside the department’s regulatory jurisdiction.

“During the inspection, we found that the students had been moved to other branches of the school. There were only a few classes being conducted in the building, but these were private tuitions, and we do not have any jurisdiction over them. We have the authority to regulate schools,” an official said.

Despite the contrasting accounts, parents continue to seek clarity on the school’s recognition status, fee payment arrangements and the validity of academic documents to be issued to students.

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