Working mom? No seat for your kid in Bengaluru schools!

Bengaluru: Are you a working woman? Then be careful while applying for seats for your children in schools. This admission season, many schools denied seats to children whose mothers are working professionals.

Many victim moms vented their anger on the social media circuit against these schools, some of whom are considered elite. These women alleged that their wards were denied seats after the school managements came to know that they were working.

One such mother told Deccan Chronicle that she had applied for a seat for her four-and-a-half-year-old son in six schools in Koramamgala, BTM Layout and Basavanagudi, but did not get admission even in one, though the child had done well in the interview and the tests.

 “At the time of applying, all these schools assured us that our son would get admission, but once they conducted interview with me and my husband, we got a cold response. My friends told me that most of these schools have a policy of not giving seats to children whose mothers are working professionals. My friends also told me not to reveal my work status to school managements,” she said.

Another parent Saroja Bhat, a techie, said that she was interviewed extensively before a seat was allotted to her son.  “The school wanted to know who would take care of the child on school holidays, after he comes back home etc. My son was given the seat only after I told them that my mother was staying with me,” Ms. Bhat said.

Academic and researcher Satish Acharya said that the schools might be trying to send out a message that parents too have responsibilities in a schooling system. “Many parents find it difficult to look after their children due to professional and family reasons. But that is not a reason for schools to deny seats to children of working mothers,” he said.

Mr D. Shashikumar, general secretary, Karnataka Associated Managements of English Medium Schools  (KAMS), said that the schools could be using it as a ruse to deny seats to children as there is stiff competition for good schools in the city. “Our association institutions never indulge in such practices,” Mr. Shashikumar said.