Mumbai: Considering the overwhelming response for non-state board curriculum, the BMC has plans to start six more Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), by next academic year (2024-2025). The civic education department had received more than 4,000 applications for 868 seats for the new academic year in these schools.
Apart from state-board schools, the civic body also runs 11 CBSE, one Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) school each. There are 40 seats for every civic-run CBSE school, out of which 10% are filled on the recommendation of the mayor while 5% are reserved for civic employees kids and 34 seats are open to the public.
Students selected via lottery system
"We had to conduct lottery system to allot seats in these schools for the new academic year 2023- 24. During "Mission Admission" we observed that more parents are willing to take admission for their student in non-state board school. More enquiries were for CBSE schools. So we are planning to start more CBSE schools in our new 5 - 6 school buildings that will be ready by this year," said a senior civic official.
₹3,347 crore budget estimate
The CBSE schools offer free education to children from kindergarten to class 7. Higher grades will be added every year, said civic sources. Teachers trained in the CBSE curriculum are teaching at the schools in Pratiksha Nagar - Sion, Bhavani Shankar Marg - Dadar, Poonam Nagar - Jogeshwari, Jankalyan - Malad, Tunga village - Kurla, Chembur, Rajawadi school Ghatkopar, Hariyali village - Vikhroli.
The budget estimate for the financial year 2023-24 is ₹3,347 crore as compared to ₹3,370 crore last financial year. The civic-run CBSE and ICSE schools received the approval of the Maharashtra Government to run them on a self-financed basis in 2022.
