Goregaon school announces plan to shut, 350 students in the lurch

In January this year, the BMC issued a notice to the school stating that the building was in a dilapidated state and asked for a structural audit to be done.

A 50-year-old Marathi school in Goregaon is on the verge of closing down after the school building was declared unsafe by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

A 50-year-old Marathi school in Goregaon is on the verge of closing down after the school building was declared unsafe by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). (Photo by Gurpreet Singh/Hindustan Times) Representative Image

The management at Vidyavardhini Vidya Mandir, a government-aided school, which currently has 350 students, announced on April 12 that it will not open in the upcoming academic year which begins in June.

In January this year, the BMC issued a notice to the school stating that the building was in a dilapidated state and asked for a structural audit to be done.

The audit revealed that the school was ‘unsafe’ after which the management was asked to vacate it with immediate effect.

Following the report, school officials informed the parents they would have to shift out students to other nearby schools as the school needs to be shut for repairs at least for the next three years.

“We have explored all the options that we had — from looking for an alternative space to accommodating students in other BMC schools. But as none of that worked, we asked parents to shift their children but assured that we will help them get a seat elsewhere,” said Sudhakar Tillu, member of the school management.

However, alumni and parents have urged the institute to take back its decision.

“We have written to the education department and have also asked the management to ensure the school does not close. Parents cannot go looking for admissions in such a short duration,” said Vinit Gupte, an ex-student of the school.

Parents said with the new academic year set to begin in a month’s time, they do not want to withdraw their children from the school.

“There are very few Marathi medium schools in the locality. We really liked the school and are now worried about our children’s future,” said a parent on the condition of anonymity.