BMC signs deal with Cambridge Board, aims to start school in Mumbai by June next year

BMC aims to have one school affiliated with the Cambridge Board in each of the 24 administrative wards in the city, said Mumbai guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray.

After affiliating with ICSE and CBSE boards, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cambridge Board to start schools with the board’s curriculum in the city. Mumbai guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray said the civic body will hold meetings with the board and look at starting at least one school by June next year.

State minister and Mumbai guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray said that apart from BMC schools in Mumbai, the state government would also look into providing Cambridge Board curriculum for students elsewhere in Maharashtra. (HT FILE)

BMC aims to have one school affiliated with the Cambridge Board in each of the 24 administrative wards in the city, Thackeray said. Mumbai currently has 12 schools with CBSE and ICSE board curriculum. The civic body is expected to hold discussions with the board on how to set up a school in the next two months, outlining the course and other details, BMC officials said.

Thackeray, while speaking at the event at Sahyadri guesthouse, said as Cambridge Board is a renowned and quality medium of education, it would provide a great educational opportunity for students of Mumbai. He added that the state government would also look into providing such curriculum for students elsewhere in Maharashtra.

“Every Mumbaiite can come to Mumbai public school without worrying about how much fees they can pay. We have ICSE and CBSE board, and today we have joined hands with Cambridge Board. In the next two months, we will hold meetings with them and work out how many schools we will be able to start [in Mumbai], even if it is one to begin with. Efforts will be on starting one such school in each ward of Mumbai so that students can take advantage of international standard of education,” he said.

Thackeray held a meeting with BMC officials and board representatives including Mahesh Srivastava, regional director, South Asia for Cambridge Assessment International Education, and Ajay Pratap Singh, head of Cambridge University Press India Ltd on starting a school by the next academic year. Following the meeting, he said, “We hope to initiate the academic year 2022 with the Cambridge chapter of Mumbai public school that will pave the way to make international education accessible to students, free of cost, regardless of their economic background, thus promoting a strong culture of teaching and learning.”

He further added that due to the quality education in these schools, more than 10,000 applications were received for 4,000 seats in the current academic year. He also said that in addition to the curriculum in its schools, BMC is focusing on upgrading school buildings and other infrastructure.

Principals, parents welcome move

The decision to introduce Cambridge Board for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) school students has been accepted as a positive move by principals as they feel that bright students who are not financially stable can afford quality education through this move. Parents said while it is a good initiative, BMC needs to focus on the current infrastructure and quality of education.

A principal of a popular SSC board school in the city on condition of anonymity said, “SSC board syllabus and Cambridge Board syllabus have vast differences. The teaching method itself is such that the student becomes independent and creative. Making such a syllabus available to students from all sections of the society is a boon. However, it is also important to have teachers who are capable of handling such a syllabus. Many aided SSC board schools that have converted to other boards have the same teachers with the old teaching pattern which does not serve the purpose.”

Avnita Bir, director principal of Podar Education Network, said, “With the new education policy in place, people have become eager to try new things. This is the right time to take a step further. While every board is trying various means to adopt new practices, such a decision by BMC will be a boon for students. Bright students will get an opportunity to open their minds and focus on learning creatively, independently will be adopted. The focus for the administration will be on how to include the various boards along with the existing schools.”

“The condition of SSC schools is pathetic. BMC should focus on maintaining quality education and improving the infrastructure. They should focus on existing schools or invest money in providing means to gain digital education for existing students in the current scenario. Introducing Cambridge Board is a good initiative, but it will take years to come on track and will include a lot of planning as well. Without a detailed plan, the students will suffer,” said Anubha Sahai, president of India wide Parents Association.

(Inputs from Ankita G Menon)