Mumbai: Parents juggle forms, future as kids get ready for school

Individual admission schedules due to lack of state rules, peer pressure leave parents anxious

In the absence of state guidelines to regulate school admissions, the process of enrolling students promises to be stressful for city parents.

Admission schedules for city schools vary depending on the board they offer students. (HT)

Admission process for the academic year of 2019 have commenced with schools following their own timetable. This means parents are running around to fill application forms, attend in-person interviews and take school tours. Keeping track of the multiple timetables is a challenge.

“With the growing competition, one is not sure of making it to a top school and most parents apply in multiple schools. Since there is absolutely no uniformity in admission schedules, there is a lot of time and money lost in the process along with the additional pressure [of a child making the cut] till one gets through a school,” said Andheri-based Aditi Singh, who is looking to enrol her three-year-old daughter into school this year.

In the past, several organisations and parent groups, like the PTA United Forum, have written to the state education department to come up with a timeframe within which schools across the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) can conduct admissions. However, in the absence of any such guidelines from the state government, each school follows its own schedule and process.

“Each school has its own requirements depending on the board it offers and other factors which make it difficult to regulate admissions,” said an official at the state education department who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Admission schedules for city schools vary depending on the board they offer students. Most Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools and those offering the Indian Certificate for Secondary Education (ICSE) conduct admissions between October and February. Those offering the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), International Baccalaureate (IB) and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) begin admissions in August and the process often goes on until January. Most prominent schools under the state board begin their admissions process between December and January.

Prominent city schools charge anywhere between ₹500 and ₹3,000 for an admission form. Some schools also charge to arrange school tours before parents apply. Arundhati Chavan, president of the PTA United Forum said, “With admissions for the next year beginning this early, parents are under immense stress. Many schools conduct interviews with parents and they have to keep up with all the different schedules while they have a full-time job.”

Psychiatrist Dr Sagar Mundada said admission-related anxiety is common in mothers during this season. “We get many patients who are often anxious about getting through a particular school. Most of this pressure comes through competition with peers and the status attached to a ‘good’ school,” said Mundada.