Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 29 September 2023
St. Mary’s School, located in Rangat, North and Middle Andaman District, which is a recognised primary school, is facing allegations of admitting students in Classes 6th, 7th, and 8th without proper recognition for the past four years.
According to the UDISE+ portal of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India, St. Mary’s School was established in the year 2006, and it is listed as a primary school.
Concerned parents of students attending the school have raised their voices against the institution, claiming that the school had failed to inform them about its ineligibility to admit students beyond primary grades.
One parent, who had enrolled their child in St. Mary’s School, expressed their dismay to Nicobar Times, revealing that they were under the impression that the school had obtained all necessary permissions to admit students up to Grade VIII. It was only recently that these parents discovered the school’s illegal operation of classes 6th to 8th without the required recognition.
In response to this revelation, the concerned parents approached senior officials of Rangat Tehsil. These officials have taken swift action to ensure the welfare of the affected students. Reports indicate that arrangements have been made for students in Grades 6 to 8 at St. Mary’s School to be transferred to a government school in Rangat, where their education can continue uninterrupted.
Despite attempts by Nicobar Times to reach out to St. Mary’s School for a statement regarding these allegations, all calls placed to the school’s contact number remained unanswered.
Parents of students affected by this situation are now seeking appropriate legal action against the school’s management for keeping them in the dark about its recognition status beyond primary classes.
This incident serves as a stark reminder for parents to thoroughly verify the recognition status of schools before enrolling their children in private institutions. Ensuring that a school is recognised by the appropriate authority is crucial, as non-recognised schools can pose numerous challenges for students and their families.