BMC proposes 10 more CBSE-affiliated civic schools in Mumbai

To attract more parents to civic body schools, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) education department has proposed to start 10 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools from the academic year 2021-22.

Last year, the civic body had started a CBSE school in Poonam Nagar, Jogeshwari, and an Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) school in Mahim’s Woolen Mill Municipal School.

“While the response to both these schools was good, parents said the CBSE board seemed easier as its curriculum was simpler to understand as compared to that of ICSE. Hence, there is a proposal to start more CBSE schools. These schools will be in old or unused BMC buildings,” said Sainath Durge, member of BMC’s education committee. The committee will discuss the proposal in its next meeting scheduled on Thursday.

The civic body has planned two schools in P-North ward (Malad) and one each in G-North (Dadar), F-North (Matunga-Sion), K-West (Andheri-Jogeshwari), L (Sakinaka, Chandivli), N (Ghatkopar), M-East (Chembur), S (Vikhroli) and T(Mulund). The schools will begin classes for Junior KG to Class 6 in the first year and then opt for gradual progression.

Admissions to 90% of seats under these schools will be conducted based on a lottery drawn by BMC, and the students will be given free education in these schools. The civic body will appoint teachers recruited against around 4,000 vacant teaching posts, and these appointments will take place, keeping in mind the criteria required for teaching in the CBSE.

In 2020-21, there were nearly seven applications for every seat at BMC’s newly-opened CBSE school at Poonam Nagar. The civic body’s first ICSE affiliated school – the Woolen Mill Municipal School in Mahim – received 343 applications for 320 seats.