Be alert before admitting your child to any school - that's the advice the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), to which most city schools are affiliated, has for guardians as admission season nears (it will start from January). As many as 16 CBSE schools in the city were disaffiliated this year by the board.

To avoid admitting their children to dubious schools, first the parents should check the school's affiliation number, said CBSE regional officer (Bihar and Jharkhand) R.R. Meena.

"Each school has a distinctive affiliation number and school number. People can visit www.cbse.nic.in and click on the permanent affiliation and school directory to verify the status of a particular school," he said. "But affiliation is not the only thing that matters. There are several other important aspects, including infrastructure of school, security arrangement, proper boundary wall, enough space for indoor and outdoor games, and transportation facilities. They (parents) should also talk to the school principal and know about the teaching staff."

He added: "There are 661 and 363 CBSE-affiliated schools in Bihar and Jharkhand respectively, of which 144 schools are in Patna as per the latest affiliation list on the CBSE website."

The 16 CBSE schools disaffiliated this year are: AVN English School (SK Puri), AVN School (Rajiv Nagar), DAV Public School (Board Colony), Denobili Mission School (Pahari), Doon Public School (Indira Nagar), Model St Michael High School (Rupaspur), National Convent High School (BM Das Road), New Delhi Public School (Sri Krishna Puri), Patna Muslim High School (BM Das Road), SDV Public School (Phulwarisharif), Plasma Pathway School (Ismailpur), Scholars Abode School (Phulwarisharif), Sharon's Public School (Rupaspur), Sherwood School (Rajiv Nagar), Sindhu Public School (Sampatchak) and T Raza High School (Phulwarisharif).

C.B. Singh, secretary of Patliputra CBSE Sahodaya, a group of CBSE schools, said: "A large number of schools in Patna, running under the garb of CBSE pattern but not affiliated, have become a cause of concern for countless parents. The apathy of these schools compels the students to hunt for admission to other schools once these so called CBSE-tagged schools reach the limit beyond which they cannot run classes without (board) recognition."

Many schools lose their affiliation because of forged documents, improper infrastructure and non-renewal of affiliation on time, said Singh. "Parents should take precautions before selecting any school for their kids, ensuring that the school has a valid registration number, its own building (around 2 acres), playground, one science lab (till Class X) and three separate lab for physics, chemistry and biology (till Class XII). People should not jeopardise the future of their kids," he added.

"I was distraught when I heard that the school where my daughter studies (in Class IX) was de-affiliated during the summer vacation," said Alok Kumar, a resident of Gardanibagh. "After a lot of hassles, we got to know that it has been given one year's emergency affiliation. Next year onwards, I will move my son (who studies in Class VII) to some reputable school."

Archana Gautam, another parent of a schoolgoing child, said: "Earlier, we only went with the brand name of the school but now we have to look for other things too. This year, we have come to know that many schools lose their recognition. My son is in Class II and now I am getting worried and want to admit him to some prominent school."