Students should not repeat Colleges in their Preference List
It’s been three years since admission to junior college took
the online route in Mumbai, but even now, schools, parents and students are confused
over how to key in the college preference form. It hasn't helped that
this year, the state’s school education department has introduced a new set of rules
for filling in the preference form. Instead of simply listing colleges of their
choice, students will now have to select colleges by three criteria region (Mumbai
Metropolitan Region), followed by zone and then ward. But the education department's
booklet does not mention whether a student can repeat a college in two of the three
criteria. As per the rules, a student cannot repeat a college.
If we get this part wrong, my child may find himself enrolled in a college he has
no interest in, said an anxious parent. As per the rules, a student has to list
a minimum of 15 colleges in the MMR and another 15 (or more institutions) under
the zone criteria. Only then can a student put down at least five colleges in a
particular ward. But while page number 33 in the information brochure for online
admission gives detailed instructions, it does not mention if students can repeat
the colleges.
The parent added, our school is not helping us fill the forms and have asked us
to approach the guidance centers to clear our doubts. So we consulted state board
schools, but we've been getting different answers. While some schools say we can
repeat the names of the colleges, others say we can not.
Another parent, whose son studies in a state board school in the western suburbs
had a similar query. He said, if we go wrong now while filling the preference form,
the department will not consider any of our complaints at later stage. My son’s
school has conducted a workshop for parents, but the teachers could not answer our
queries on this particular issue.
Clearing all doubts, an official from the deputy director’s office said that college
names cannot be repeated in the MMR, zone or even the ward criteria. Students have
to start with the MMR and based on last year’s cut-offs of those colleges, they
have to fill in their preferences. After filling the preferences in MMR, they list
colleges in zones but without repeating the names of the colleges in the MMR. The
same goes for the ward level. The computer will not recognize repetition of names
and forms will be disqualified. Students will be placed based on the serial order
of preference, said the official. He said the booklet had all the answers, and the
procedure had been explained to school principals.
Courtesy: Times of India
