MUMBAI: Candidates for the Class XII board exam are forced to scuttle from one centre to another for want of a bench for a simple reason: the city's colleges, like the city itself , are overcrowded.
For the past few years, Mumbai has been sending the largest pool of students to the Class XII exam, but has miserably lagged behind in infrastructure to support an exercise as large as the board exam. Exam supervisors say a college ordinarily meant for 800 students, packs close to 1,000 students for a board exam.
For the past few years, Mumbai has been sending the largest pool of students to the Class XII exam, but has miserably lagged behind in infrastructure to support an exercise as large as the board exam. Exam supervisors say a college ordinarily meant for 800 students, packs close to 1,000 students for a board exam.
However, students appearing for the exam elsewhere in the state do not have to deal with whimsical seat arrangements.
This city has among the fewest junior colleges which can qualify as exam centres. Only Latur, which has less than a third, and Nashik, which has only half of Mumbai's student population, trail.
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education's chairman Sarjerao Jadhav acknowledges the problem saying it is compounded by the fact that not all colleges or schools can be allotted as exam centres. "Only institutes with a minimum capacity of 250 students can be assigned as centres."
The seating problem is worse in areas like Thane, says former board chairman Vasant Kalpande, where the student population has grown faster than the colleges.
Basanti Roy, former secretary of Mumbai Division Board, explains that the seating arrangement is such that only one student can occupy a bench during exams, pushing up the requirement for classrooms by three times. "There is overcrowding in Mumbai colleges as the student strength is higher. Some junior colleges which have attached schools often opt out of being a centre as it is difficult for them to be centres for both SSC and HSC exams. However, there never has been a major problem with the centres," she adds.
But exam supervisors allege that the scenario has worsened over time, as authorities grant permission to colleges without much stringent inspection.
"The problem of overcrowding has cropped up in the last two to three years, ever since unaided colleges increased. There is also a staff crunch, forcing some colleges to pack as many students as possible in one class," says Anil Deshmukh, vice-president of the Maharashtra State Junior College Teachers ' Association.
In other parts of Maharashtra , the scenario is clearly , better. But Dilip Sahastrabuddhe , Latur Division Board chairman, claimed the strength of students in junior colleges across the state was similar. "In junior colleges attached to the degree colleges, the strength is 120, while in the ones attached to schools, the strength is 80. Also, Mumbai has bigger colleges ," he added.
This city has among the fewest junior colleges which can qualify as exam centres. Only Latur, which has less than a third, and Nashik, which has only half of Mumbai's student population, trail.
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education's chairman Sarjerao Jadhav acknowledges the problem saying it is compounded by the fact that not all colleges or schools can be allotted as exam centres. "Only institutes with a minimum capacity of 250 students can be assigned as centres."
The seating problem is worse in areas like Thane, says former board chairman Vasant Kalpande, where the student population has grown faster than the colleges.
Basanti Roy, former secretary of Mumbai Division Board, explains that the seating arrangement is such that only one student can occupy a bench during exams, pushing up the requirement for classrooms by three times. "There is overcrowding in Mumbai colleges as the student strength is higher. Some junior colleges which have attached schools often opt out of being a centre as it is difficult for them to be centres for both SSC and HSC exams. However, there never has been a major problem with the centres," she adds.
But exam supervisors allege that the scenario has worsened over time, as authorities grant permission to colleges without much stringent inspection.
"The problem of overcrowding has cropped up in the last two to three years, ever since unaided colleges increased. There is also a staff crunch, forcing some colleges to pack as many students as possible in one class," says Anil Deshmukh, vice-president of the Maharashtra State Junior College Teachers ' Association.
In other parts of Maharashtra , the scenario is clearly , better. But Dilip Sahastrabuddhe , Latur Division Board chairman, claimed the strength of students in junior colleges across the state was similar. "In junior colleges attached to the degree colleges, the strength is 120, while in the ones attached to schools, the strength is 80. Also, Mumbai has bigger colleges ," he added.
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