Students from abroad have a tough time applying online

Even as the first year junior college (FYJC) online admissions have taken a beating at home, many foreign students are logging online to secure seats in Mumbai’s junior colleges. Puja Pednekar and Apoorva Puranik reports.

Even as the first year junior college (FYJC) online admissions have taken a beating at home, many foreign students are logging online to secure seats in Mumbai’s junior colleges.

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This year, students from countries like the Republic of Zambia in southern Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Dubai and others, have applied for admission to Class 11 through the online process.

However, students are forced to run from pillar to post to get their grades converted into marks that are required for applying to colleges under the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Two students from Republic of Zambia, who are moving to India, had a hard time getting documents approved.

“The authorities refused to accept my daughter’s application as she had studied from the local board [in Zambia]. We will seek admission through the offline process,’’ said an applicant’s mother who had approached the guidance centre at Gyan Kendra School, Andheri. But her son’s application was accepted as he had studied from the International General School Certificate Examination board.

A student from Canada, who secured 87% in the IGCSE exam, too faced problems seeking admission through cultural quota.

Students also faced the language barrier. “Most of the information we get is in Marathi, making sense of it is a task,’’ said Priyansh Manikam, who studied in Dubai. He wants to apply to the science stream in St Xavier’s College, Fort or KC College, Churchgate.