Some private schools in Rajasthan made it compulsory for students to purchase course books, stationary and uniforms from specific shops that have tie-ups with school administration. By forcing this new rule on parents, these schools attempted to amplify their income through commissions collected on sale of school supplies through partner shops. Fed up with impractical costs charged by shopkeepers, the parents approached Rajasthan education ministry for help. In an attempt to relieve pressure on parents, state education minister Vasudev Devnani slammed the school administrations for harassing parents by setting such absurd terms and conditions.
Devnani Imposes Check on Flourishing School Business, Circulates Notice to All Private Schools in Rajasthan…
Recently, many parents have filed complaint against their wards’ schools, stating that school authorities were forcing them to buy expensive items from school-run shops. The matter took a serious turn when state education minister Vasudev Devnani’s interference.
This Monday, Devnani issued a written notice to all private schools in Rajasthan, specifically instructing them not to force any parents to purchase school supplies from specific shops. The minister also directed them not to sell any supplies within the school premises. If any school fails to comply with the conditions set by the education department, the offenders will be heavily penalized. Rajasthan government is quite serious in this matter. To control arbitrary activities performed by schools, the department will cancel the license (registration and recognition) of schools that will fail to abide by the new laws.
Devnani specifically requested state education officers to keep an eye on school authorities. According to Devnani, Rajasthan schools follow the curriculum run by either Rajasthan Board or the NCERT (National Council for Education Research and Training). Before the start of a new academic session, it’s compulsory for schools to release the list of books allowed in their curriculum. This list would include book name, author name and other details. The schools are expected to display this list on their official website or school notice board.
Parents are free to purchase school books and uniforms from any shop of their choice. The school staff/administration doesn’t have the power to govern their choices. Considering the convenience of parents, Devnani forbade private schools from changing their uniforms in every five years.
This move brought a fresh breathe of relief for troubled parents in Rajasthan. They’re hopeful it’ll prevent schools from imposing absurd laws in future.
