18 new international schools in Mumbai soon
The Mumbai is set to get 18 new international schools and Thane another 50 schools after Maharashtra government on Wednesday granted permission to 1,018 proposed international schools across the state.
The Mumbai is set to get 18 new international schools and Thane another 50 schools after Maharashtra government on Wednesday granted permission to 1,018 proposed international schools across the state. The state school education department has given its nod for the schools to begin classes from the next academic year — 2015-16.
The move is expected to benefit thousands of students seeking admission to schools with international curriculum. Currently, there are 41 International Baccalaureate (IB) schools, and 96 Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) affiliated schools in the state.
Four of the city schools which have received the approval are St Stanislaus School, Bandra; St Joseph School, Bandra; Sacred Heart School, Santacruz; and St Anne’s School, Malad. All four, run by the Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE), were awaiting nod for the past couple of years.
“We were earlier reluctant to start international schools as our mission is to provide affordable education,” said Father Francis Swamy, joint-secretary, ABE. “But with Christian population opting for international schools, we too decided to venture there, while retaining our state board schools.”
Another well-known school that has received the no-objection certificate (NOC) is Jamnabai Narsee International School, run by the Narsee Monjee Trust.
The new school offering IB primary and middle years programme will begin from the coming academic year, in its Juhu campus. “The new school is set to open on July 27. Our admissions are done,” said Jasmine Madhani, principal of the school. “We already have ICSE, ISC, IGCSE and IB diploma programmes.”
However, some of these schools will only be able to start full classes from 2016-17.
“Since we have received the NOC so late, we will only be able to start some classes this year,” said Sister Blanche, principal of St Joseph’s Convent School, Bandra.
Several schools have also got the NOC to add additional classes to existing schools. Some of these have already been running classes since the past two years.
“We started CIE in our school three years ago and had applied for NOC last year,” said Seema Buch, principal, Gundecha Education Academy, Kandivli. “Our students will appear in Class 8 this year and these permissions have to be in place by the time they appear for Class 10.”
The new schools affiliated to international and non-state boards will have to apply for NOC from the state within one to 18 months, depending on the fulfilment of the norms prescribed by the Right to Education Act (RTE).
