SANGUEM: The row over admission to 43 students from an orphanage including the 13 HIV positive students to a Pilar fathers-run Rivona school will continue on Monday with agitated parents meeting to decide the future course of action. They will decide whether or not to enforce a boycott of classes by their children PTA president Domnick Cardozo said today.
Speaking to Herald, Cardozo informed that they were waiting for the word from the school headmaster before any final decision is taken in the matter.
Though the school headmaster had assured the PTA of conveying the decision taken by school management over the admission within 48 hours, the PTA alleges that they had failed to do so till date. Moreover, they accuse the headmaster of not being available at the last meeting.
Jose Alphonso executive committee member of the PTA also echoed similar feelings. Parents told media that on Monday they will go to the school along with “our children and wait for the decision taken by the school authorities.” They warned that if the school authorities failed to adhere to their demands of withdrawing of admission granted to the 13 students than in all probabilities they would resort to a boycott.
“The ultimate decision to that effect will however come only after we hear the school headmaster,” he said.
Cardozo informed that the parents from Rivona have no objection if the students continued their studies in the nun’s run protective home located in the heart of Rivona village. The students have been studying in the nun’s run school for all these years reportedly under grant from the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
“Let them continue their studies in the same school,” said Cardozo.
The authorities did not consult the PTA before admitting these 13 students in our school, alleged Cardozo.
It may be recalled that initially the parents from the Rivona school had raised objections to admissions being granted to the HIV affected students after which these same students were admitted by a Sulcorna based school on humanitarian grounds. However on learning of HIV affected students being admitted in the school, the parents of students studying at Sulcorna school threatened to withdraw their wards if their admissions are not withdrawn.
