Mumbai: Junior colleges forced to start academic year later than expected

Junior colleges will be compelled to start the academic year later than expected because of the delay in Std X results by the nonstate boards including the CBSE and ICSE The academics are concerned about challenges students may face if the classes start lateThe academic session would be commencing late for the third year in a row the pandemic had caused the delay in the past Educational organisations and studentrsquos bodiesunions have written to the state education department urging it to begin the admission process for the First Year Junior College FYJC aspirantsAlso readMumbai University admissions 2022 Third merit list releases todayldquoWe are waiting for CBSE and ICSE results However currently we opened the part one form for the students In around four days we will be opening the part two forms so that students can start filling up the college preference list We expect the CBSE and the ICSE Std X results to be announced by then Only after the CBSE and ICSE results are out we will publish the merit listsrdquo said Mahesh Palkar director of education SecondaryHe however assured that there wonrsquot be much delay ldquoThe academic year will begin by AugustSeptemberrdquo he addedThe preadmission registration for FYJC in the city requires the completion of a twopart form The first involves students filling in basic information and the second needs their Std X score top 10 pick for collegesinstitutes and the courses of their choice Finally merit lists are declared and students are allotted colleges as per their choices and markslsquoStart admission processrsquoIn a letter to the chief minister NCP spokesperson Amol Matele has demanded that the academic session begin on August 1 ldquoAlmost a month has passed since the state board Std X results were announced on June 17 and the state education department has yet to begin the online admission procedure for FYJC For just 60000 CBSE students 16 lakh SSC students are suffering This travesty will not be tolerated We have urged the state government to instruct the school education authorities to begin the FYJC online admission procedure as soon as possiblerdquo Matele saidldquoAll said and done there has already been a delay in the academic calendar It will affect the students particularly those awaiting their Std X board results They will have less time to complete the syllabus Earlier when results were declared by May they had about 10 monthsrsquo time But now they would have seveneight months The delay wonrsquot have much of an impact on Std XII students as most of them are focussing on entrance examsrdquo said a principal of a junior college in south MumbaiAnother principal from a suburban college said ldquoThe CBSE and the ICSE results are nowhere in sight and they havenrsquot even given any clarity on it Initially there were reports that they will release the results by the end of July but now I read somewhere that it will take another month The state education department can start the process while keeping some seats aside in all colleges for CBSE and ICSE students looking at the number of seats occupied by nonstate board students last year It will be beneficial for allrdquoWhile state boardrsquos Std X exams were conducted between March and the first week of April this year Stds X and XII exams for most other education boards like the CBSE and ICSE were held in May and in some cases in June as wellAugSeptTime state expects academic year to begin