Pine Mount admission
SHILLONG: Alleged political interference in the selection of pupils for admission into the KG class in Pine Mount School has come to the fore with sources from the Education department revealing that Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Education Dr. RC Laloo is holding on to the files related to admission.
According to the sources, the school authorities had conducted the interviews for admission in mid-November and had finalized the list of selected candidates in the same month itself.
However, the school authorities could not declare the results due to alleged political and bureaucratic influences, the sources informed.
The original merit list has been changed several times, and the final list has been pending clearance by the Education Minister for several weeks now even after the same was cleared by the Principal Secretary in charge of Education, the source added.
With the unnecessary delay in declaration of the result, parents are in a dilemma over whether to wait for the announcement of the result or to seek admission elsewhere, since they are not sure whether the list has been prepared on the basis or merit or under pressure from interfering politicians and bureaucrats.
Parents are also worried that most school have either opened for the new session or are going to open shortly and new admission would not be possible in these schools.
They also fear that even if their children are granted admission in other schools they would have reservations against paying the admission fees which is non-refundable.
“My child who had appeared for the interview at Pine Mount School got admission in another private school. But I am yet to admit the child in the school as I am awaiting the result from Pine Mount,” an anxious but hopeful parent said on Wednesday.
Other parents are worried that even if their children get admission in Pine Mount, they would have a very short time on their hands to stitch the uniforms and buy books for their children.
At the time of filing of the report, there was no indication from either the school authorities or the department on the possible date for declaration of the admission result.
Meanwhile, in a fresh development, allegations of partiality in selection of students for admission into the KG classes in St Edmund’s School, has also come to the fore.
Some affected parents on Wednesday complained that the partiality in selection of students for admission has affected the future of the children.
Allegations have also been leveled against office staffs who man the front desk of the School for influencing the Principal of the School in the selection of candidates.
