A twelve-year-old Std VII student from Colaba, whose education was disrupted after the BMC school he attended shut down, has finally secured admission in a local convent school, thanks to the intervention of an advocate, Sunil Pandey.
The boy, who had scored 74 per cent in his Std VI exams, was studying at a BMC-run school in Colaba until it was declared structurally unsafe and categorised as C-1 (dangerous) by the civic body. The BMC subsequently shifted around 1400 students to another municipal school near CSMT.
However, the daily 4-km commute from Colaba to CSMT proved unaffordable and time-consuming for his parents, who work as a domestic helper and a labourer. They stopped sending him to school in July, leaving his education at risk.
Advocate Sunil Pandey, who intervened to help the boy secure admission in a local convent school. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Speaking to mid-day on the condition of anonymity, the boy’s mother said, “It is almost 4 km from my home to school. Dropping and picking him up daily was not possible for us, and it was too expensive. That’s why we stopped sending him to school. We wanted admission only in a convent school nearby.”
She recalled how multiple schools turned them away. “They asked about our yearly income, whether we owned or rented our house, our salaries, and even our education. I studied till Std II, and my husband is illiterate. None of their criteria matched, so we were rejected everywhere,” she said.
After two months of struggle, the mother was referred to Pandey, a Colaba resident known for helping people in distress.
Pandey said, “The family met me at the end of August. They said their child was unable to secure admission, and his education was at risk. I tested him by giving him one of my case papers in English to read, and he did it flawlessly. He is very talented and has already scored 74 per cent. I decided to help him get admission in a convent school.”
He explained, “Initially, the school rejected him due to his parents’ background. I requested them not to judge a child by his parents. After taking a test, they agreed to admit him. When the question of fees came up, I requested a concession for the family, and the school authorities agreed.”
Pandey added, “If citizens were more educated, it could be a real challenge for leaders. Education is the right of every child from birth. Schools must understand that each child has unique talent.”
Std VII
Class the boy studies in
