The decision was taken to put charges that the municipal schools lack quality to rest. “In the first phase, one school from each of the 15 wards in the city would be selected for ISO certification. The motive behind this initiative is to set example for the remaining schools, as it will help them better their performance,” Shivaji Daundkar, head of PMC education board, said.

But there are several criteria a school must fulfil to secure the ISO certification. “Up-to-date official documentation, computerisation and basic infrastructure, among others, are a few of the criteria the schools must fulfil. Only those schools that fit the bill would be selected,” Daundkar said. “To get an idea, we recently visited an ISO-certified private school on Bhandarkar Road. So once our schools reopen after Diwali vacation, we’ll initiate the selection process.”