TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
PORVORIM: About 57 students who passed Std VII were in for a rude shock when they were informed by officials of the Government Primary Middle School at Mapusa that the school could not admit them to Std VIII.
The issue was finally resolved after the intervention of Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’souza, when the Education Department requested other schools in Mapusa to admit the stranded students.
As per the new RTE Act, schools are required to issue leaving certificates on completion of Std 8 and the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school had sought the up-gradation of the middle school to Std 8.
Accordingly, the Government Primary Middle School on April 4 had requested the Directorate of Education to grant permission to the school to conduct classes for Std 8.
Since the infrastructure was available in the school, the staff assumed that the school would get permission to conduct Std 8 classes and informed this to the parents while issuing the results.
However, the school received a letter on May 29 from the Directorate of Education refusing permission to start Std 8 classes.
When parents went to the school with their children on Wednesday, they were shocked to learn that their children could not be admitted to Std 8.
The panic-stricken parents approached School Headmistress Flavia D’Souza and later met Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza with their grievance.
Following the intervention of D’Souza, the Directorate of Education requested other schools in Mapusa to admit the children.
