MARAGO: The State government and the Chowgule Education Society appear heading for a confrontation over the admissions to the Chowgule Higher Secondary School.
While Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has warned the Chowgule Education society that the government would be compelled to takeover the higher secondary school if admissions are not opened by Monday, Chowgule Higher Secondary School Principal R Gaonkar on Sunday told Herald that there was no change in the stand of management not to open admissions.
“Our stand not to open admissions for XI Science and Arts continues. There’s no change in our stand for the moment,” Gaonkar said.
When his attention was drawn to the chief minister’s threat to take over the higher secondary school if admissions did not start by Monday, Gaonkar said the Education Society would take appropriate stand once the government initiates action. “We will come out with our stand once the government takes action. Right now, all we want to say is our stand on admissions remains unchanged,” he added.
During his visit to the city here on Saturday, the chief minister, who also holds the education portfolio, had categorically stated that the government would take over the Chowgule Higher Secondary School if admissions did not start immediately. In fact, he asserted that the department of education had already communicated to the Chowgule Higher Secondary School management to open admission immediately. “My government will protect the interests of the student community. We will not allow closure of the higher secondary school,” Parrikar had stated.
There’s been a clamour for the take over of the Chowgule Higher Secondary School from both Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai as well as local BJP leader Damu Naik if the management fails to open admissions by Monday.
The Chowgule Higher Secondary School had an intake capacity of 250 students, including 200 seats in the Science stream and the remaining seats in Arts stream. Sources in the know said other higher secondary schools will not be able to meet the student requirements given its limited infrastructure and other logistics.
