BMC Reverts Decision on Aarey School Timings After Facing Backlash

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to uphold the existing timings for the Aarey Municipal School Complex (AMSC) following objections from concerned parents, as reported by Hindustan Times. Just two weeks ago, the civic body had proposed altering the school timings from the current 7 am to 12 pm and 12:30 pm to 5 pm to a consolidated single session of 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.

The proposal aimed to prioritise the safety of students in an area frequented by leopards. AMSC currently hosts approximately 1,500 students across classes 1 to 10, split between morning and afternoon sessions.

Parents promptly raised concerns about potential traffic disruptions during peak office hours if schools were to start at 10:30 am. Responding to these apprehensions, Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar wrote a letter to the BMC administrative officer of the ward, urging a reevaluation, reported Hindustan Times.

Consequently, the BMC has officially rescinded its decision to change the school timings, citing parental feedback and the anticipated traffic challenges during the proposed hours.

Parent activist and former school parent, Anandray Mogha, expressed reservations about the altered timings. He told the news agency that the previous timings were convenient for the residents of the 46 units in the Aarey colony and various padas. He urged BMC officials to reconsider their decision, suggesting that if a change was necessary, the start of classes should not extend beyond 8 am.

Mogha highlighted potential traffic issues, stating, “If schools start at 10:30, which is peak morning office hours, there are chances of traffic on the smaller roads of Aarey, and it will take an hour to cover a 10-minute stretch.”

He also pointed out that the proposed changes would impact the transportation system of students, as the 12 BEST buses designated for the students operate during specific time slots, generally from 6:30 am to 7:30 am, 12 pm to 1 pm, and 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

Beyond traffic concerns, Mogha argued that a single session of six hours, as opposed to the current two sessions totalling 10 hours, would adversely affect both class management and the overall quality of education. “To manage all the classes in 10 hours is easier than to manage them in six hours,” he remarked.