No textbooks of private publishers, panel directs education department

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Protection of Children (TNSCPCR) has asked the school education department to prevent schools from insisting on expensive textbooks of private publishers since it causes a financial burden on families and is in violation of the Right to Education Act.
In a letter to the department, officials said many schools in the state have been asking parents to buy these textbooks, though those published by National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the state government are available, and action should be taken against such schools.
“This will also create a disparity among students as section 29 of the Right to Education Act insists all schools must conform to uniform curriculum and syllabus laid down by an academic authority,” read the letter.
“We have been receiving complaints from parents of children studying even in Classes I and III that their teachers insist they buy the expensive textbooks from private publishers. They end up spending on both the prescribed books and those by private publishers,” said M P Nirmala, chairperson of the commission.
The commission had written to the state department, following directions from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The apex child rights body had written to all the state commissions, after receiving multiple complaints, to ensure that no child is asked to carry books other than those by NCERT and its state counterparts. It had further asked authorities to take action against schools that ask students to buy textbooks from private publishers.
Members of the TNSCPCR added that children who do not have these textbooks are discriminated against or neglected by teachers.
While officials from the school education department said they would take necessary steps to prevent such a practice, the regional office of Central Board of Secondary Education, which was also alerted, said this does not fall under its jurisdiction.
“They say they have to monitor examinations and nothing else. In fact, several violations are also from CBSE schools. If they are not responsible, who else is?” asked Nirmala.
“We will notify all schools in the state to ensure they comply with the rules, starting from the coming academic year,” said a senior official of the education department.