The Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE) has told the 120-odd schools under its jurisdiction to postpone their admission process until there is further clarity from the government on the issue and until the ABE’s own general body meeting later this month. The ABE oversees around 125 schools in the city, most of whose primary sections are unaided. The ABE last week told schools to hold on to their admission process for the time being.

“We have told them to stop for now,” said Father Gregory Lobo, head of the ABE. “We are awaiting instructions from the government. We also want to hear from schools on how they would like to go about admissions.”

The ABE will be holding its general body meeting on December 20  to discuss main issue on the agenda, the RTE Act which requires all schools will to accommodate at the entry level up to 25% of their strength for economically backward students.

“We normally put up our admission notice in the first week of December and then begin admissions in January so it won’t cause that much of a delay,” said one ABE school principal. “We are awaiting instructions from the government.” However, the confusion is unfounded, said state government officials, as the government hasn’t put a stay on admissions. The Supreme Court had said that all schools excepting minority unaided schools would have to follow the clause. However, there is still some confusion after state government officials said unaided minority schools too would have to make that provision. “There is some confusion, the government is deciding on it,” said J Saharia, additional chief secretary, school education department.