Apr. 20, 2017: Bringing down the whip on schools indulging in rampant commercialization of education in the country, the Central Board of Secondary Education yesterday issued a stern warning to the affiliated schools. In the circular released on the official website cbse.nic.in, CBSE has advised schools against selling books, stationery and uniform for profit. The circular clearly lists the affiliation bye laws that limit the operations of the school as a community service and has asked schools to desist from engaging in these activities.
The circular was released after the Board received various complaints from parents and other stakeholders regarding forced purchase of school books, bags, stationery, uniform, shoes, etc. from within the shops in the schools or from enlisted vendors. Calling these activities as against the affiliation bye laws, the CBSE has asked school management to ensure strict compliance to the Affiliation Bye Laws. It has also reminded the schools regarding the use of NCERT Text books and providing report to the board regarding the number of students in schools. As per the circular issued last year, CBSE affiliated schools are to strictly adhere to the directions provided in the NCERT textbooks.
CBSE has been off late working effectively to counter the increased commercialization of the affiliated schools. After making NCERT Books compulsory, CBSE had also sought reports from private publishers regarding the content in the textbooks as well as the quality of the content. Keeping with the promise of improved quality of education, CBSE has been taking strict measures to counter the misuse of authority by schools.
Different reports have often been published about the increased fees. Parents across the country are uniting against the schools that have been constantly increasing fees. Adding to the increase fee burden are the expenses of buying prescribed expensive books and stationery from various schools. India.com had run a report on how schools benefit from selling the private publisher’s books and why the order of NCERT books had upset many school authorities.
Taking a stern action against the people who have turned schools into big profit factories, the CBSE has in no simple words reminded the schools of their purpose. It had also asked the schools to follow affiliation bye laws in regards the fee hike in schools in a circular last week. Yesterday, CBSE also issued a show cause notice to DPS schools in Delhi regarding the violation of affiliation bye laws. Along with DPS Mathura Road and DPS RK Puram, the Central Board has also sent out notices to 11 other schools in the capital.
Though there is no action mentioned in the circular against the commercial activities, the CBSE has asked the management to strictly adhere to the advisement. As per the Affiliation Bye Laws of CBSE, schools are forbidden to maintain a counter within the school premises. Also, a school affiliated to the CBSE can prescribe a set of books but cannot ask parents to buy these books from any particular vendor.
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