Lottery process for admissions to BMC schools completed through Zoom app

No admission fees will be charged from students of these schools.

In a first, the BMC Education department completed the lottery process for admission to its CBSE and ICSE-affiliated schools on Thursday through video-conferencing app, Zoom.

Started on a pilot basis from the 2020-21 academic year, the BMC began online applications for its CBSE and ICSE schools in March. The schools will hold classes for Junior KG till standard 6, with a capacity of 40 students per class. “However, lottery was conducted for only 38 seats per class, with two seats reserved for quota, which will be announced by joint commissioner (Education),” said Mahesh Palkar, education officer.

Online applications for Classes 7 to 10 will be introduced from next academic year. No admission fees will be charged from students of these schools.

The lottery was conducted at municipal administrative building in Dadar west, with education committee member Sainath Durge and Assistant Municipal Commissioner Kiran Dighavkar present on the occasion.

Mumbai Public School, Woolen Mills, Mahim (ICSE) received a total of 360 applications for all classes, of which, 332 were approved. The lottery was conducted only for Junior KG, Senior KG and Class 1. Applications for classes 2 to 6 were less in comparison to the capacity of the school, following which all applications were given admission.

For Mumbai Public School, Poonam Nagar (CBSE) in Jogeshwari East, 1,510 applications out of total 2,154 received were eligible for lottery. A total of 304 seats across all classes were filled.

“April 30 was the last working day for all BMC schools. The schools are slated to open post summer break after June 15. For the seats that continue to remain vacant, a decision will be taken later,” said Palkar.

A teacher herself, Satwinder Kaur, who enrolled her child in Class 1, said, “The lottery was conducted in a fair manner. As a parent, I feel BMC is taking good efforts with this initiative. We decided to enroll our child in this school instead of a private school.”

Neevan Baini got admission in Junior KG in the ICSE school on Thursday. His father Ashok Baini, who works in a travel agency, said, “I read about the curriculum and pattern of teaching and was convinced to enroll my child here. Much of the learning will take place through gadgets… It will be a Google challenge for parents and teachers as well.”