Two month since abrupt closure of prestigious Lonavala school, students, staff try to move on; investigation in limbo

“Having a fund crunch is a genuine issue, but there has to be a process in case of shutting down the school that does not leave all children and staff high and dry. At the last minute, we were all focused on finding suitable alternatives for our children, which did not come without compromises on aspects such as subject combinations, location of schools, day or boarding arrangements among others,” said a parent.

The news of the closure was communicated to the 150 children in the school on May 21, two days before they were expected to return to campus for the new academic year. Many students have now taken admissions in different schools, including boarding schools.

“My children were day scholars as we live nearby. To get the same board and subject combinations, both had to be admitted to two separate schools that are farther away. Some students even went as far as Ooty and Mussoorie for boarding options,” said a parent.

The teaching and non-teaching staff have also had to struggle to find alternatives. “Most of us have had to compromise on salaries and designations. If we had notice, we could have planned better… There were a few new appointments in teaching and non-teaching staff a month before the closure, it did not leave any room for us to suspect a serious issue,” said a staff member.

“We all knew there was a fund crunch, but recently, the school management spent money on renovation and repair works. This made us believe that with new admissions, school is getting ready,” said the staff member.

The state education department started an independent inquiry into the closure on May 26 after parents wrote to then education minister Varsha Gaikwad. An initial notice was sent to the school to explain its stand, following which authorities visited the campus. The inquiry has not led to any conclusion.

The parents who had sent a legal notice to the school management in June said they had to stop demanding accountability. “Our hands were tied as we all had been forced to sign a declaration of having no objection, in order to receive a refund of the fee,” said a parent.

Audumber Ukirde, Deputy Director (Education) in Pune, who was responsible for conducting the independent inquiry, said: “Unless we have a complaint from parents, there is no provision to take any action.” Ukirde added that he had “issued a notice to the school that an abrupt closure was not allowed” and “that the school should continue for an year”.

“But the notice clearly has not been given any importance by the school management. With no student on campus anymore, the office of the deputy director cannot take proactive action,” he said.

While the school offered both International Burreaculate (IB) and Cambridge curriculums, none of the boards have taken any action.

In an official response, the IB said, “…The IB has financial support options in place and encourages IB world schools to contact the IB as early as possible, so that the IB can work with schools and explore options that best suit the schools that meet the criteria for financial support. These options can include adjustment to installment plans and temporary suspension of the programme for a maximum of two years. Therefore, it was most unfortunate that the Cathedral Vidya School, Lonavala decided to close without notice.”