BMC school offers 6-yr-old admission

MUMBAI: After months of looking for schools near his home, six-year-old Kabir Ahmed on Friday finally secured admission to a BMC school in Cotton Green. TOI had, in its July 17 edition, written about the plight of Kabir and his father, Shakil Ahmed, who had been turned away by four schools near their home without any explanation.
Shakil, a human rights advocate, has moved court against the four private schools that had refused his son admission.He said that a day after TOI published the article, he got a call from a social worker from the Abhyuday Nagar BMC school. "A volunteer from Akanksha, the NGO that helps BMC run the school, said the education officer of the ward had asked the school to admit Kabir. I have taken admission there out of desperation as I don't have any alternative. The school is 7km away from my home," he said.
Ahmed said he has decided not to withdraw his petition, which is pending in court. "I have sought transparency in the admission procedures adopted by schools. The right to education Act is binding on private schools as well. They can't wash their hands of it. The four schools that denied Kabir admission should tell us and others like us on what grounds they refused us. No child can be denied admission. If Kabir gets admission to any of the four schools now, we will consider it since they are all close to us," he said.
TOI had earlier reported how the Wadala resident had been running from pillar to post for his son's admission but none of the schools admitted Kabir.
From April, Ahmed had approached St Joseph's High School, Wadala, Amulakh Amichand Bhimji Vividhlakshi Vidyalaya at King's Circle, Guru Nanak High School, GTB Nagar, and Dadar Parsee Youths Assembly High School. All four schools allegedlyin the vicinity, all of which turned the child away without proper explanation.Ahmed, in his petition, has asked for transparency in the school admission procedures and has urged the court to direct the schools to admit his son.