TEAM HERALD
[email protected]
MARGAO: Students and parents queued up at the Chowgule Higher Secondary School on Friday for admissions to Std XI (Science and Arts), but suspense continued as the management maintained that no decision has been taken so far to open admissions this academic year.
A day after the SSC results, students lined up at the higher secondary school on Monday with parents in tow. But instead of opening up admissions, the management issued instructions to the students to register their name, address and telephone numbers on a register in the school campus.
At the end of the day, around 200-plus students are believed to have registered their names on the register, hoping against hope that the Chowgule Education Society will open up the admission process. Pearl Fernandes was amongst the 200 students who registered her name. “I just came to find out whether the management has opened the admissions. I was told to only note down my name, address and my contact number”, she said, while hoping for the best.
Rajan Bhat, who had accompanied her daughter for admissions, made a fervent plea to the Chowgule management to open admissions this year. “They have only noted down our names, addresses, but they should open up the admissions at the earliest,” he said.
When contacted, the school Principal, Prof R Gaonkar said no decision has been taken by the management to open the admissions. “So far, no decision over accepting admissions this academic year has been taken,” Gaonkar maintained.
When asked why the management has asked students to leave their names and addresses on a register, Gaonkar shot back, “Since the students have approached the institute, we have told them to register their names and addresses. But there’s no decision so far to open the admissions”. He declined to comment on the clamour in many quarters over the takeover of the HS by the government.
Meanwhile, CM Manohar Parrikar said, “The Director of the college has written to the Principal of the higher secondary reminding him of complaints that the admission process had not started. He also reminded the principal that the application to shut down the college had been rejected by the education department and that there was no stay order by the High Court. He has been directed to start admissions immediately.”
