In the matter of Cathedral Vidya School in Lonavala notifying parents about the school’s closure, the education department has directed it to provide a report by Saturday and asked it to continue operations for a year.
Officials said that a school cannot shut down at such a short notice. “No school can shut without a year’s notice,” said Pune deputy education officer Audumbar Ukirde. He added, “The management should have given a notice sooner because the school is affiliated with the International Baccalaureate Board.” Such a short notice is admissible only if the school accepts the responsibility of admitting students to another school, he said.
Parents are hopeful that the management will decide in their favour. Deepali Agrawal, a parent, said, “We have been waiting for a week and we want them to continue for at least a year. We have high hopes from the education department and management.”
Parents are concerned about their children’s academics and are unwilling to take chances. “It’s good that the government is putting pressure on the school to run it for a year, but who is to say what type of quality education will be delivered, or which teachers will remain to be a part of the school? It’s just sad," said Chaitanya Chinchlikar, a parent of a Grade 12 student. “I am not going to take a chance. We can’t wait indefinitely and have to make a decision,” he added.
Meanwhile, the school faculty and the principal are awaiting the decision of the management. “We have been asked by the education department to run the school for a year,” said Principal Pourushasp F Karkaria, adding, “But we are awaiting the management’s decision.”
