The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s municipal school board has submitted to the Gujarat High Court that the city’s Mahatma Gandhi International School (MGIS) has been complying with the condition of reserving 20% of seats for children from municipal schools, and that “almost all” students recommended by the board have been admitted.
The August 5 affidavit was filed in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that the school was not following the terms of reserving seats for free education.
The PIL, listed for hearing on Monday, was adjourned as the petitioner’s lawyer tested positive for Covid-19.
In the affidavit, the municipal school board also submitted that for the current academic year, the municipal school board would try to “recommend children” studying under the Signal School Project.
The project was launched jointly by the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority and the AMC to provide basic education to children engaged in begging, in buses converted as classrooms, stationed near traffic signals.
According to the board, in the current academic year, the MGIS has indicated the availability of seven reserved seats and two students were recommended by the District Education Officer under the RTE Act, while three students were recommended by the municipal school board.
For the remaining seats, children studying in Signal School Project will be considered.