HYDERABAD: Government’s attempts to stop private schools from fleecing parents -- in the name of selling books and uniforms -- have fallen flat this year too. Express has found that several international and private schools continue to flout these norms laid out by the State education department with impunity.
Fresh sessions have already begun in several of these schools affiliated to CBSE since there is just a one-week gap between final examinations and commencement of the new academic year. Now, parents are left with no choice but to pay through the nose for the books, stationery and uniforms, shoes and even bags which many claim are not just overpriced but also of poor quality. This is in addition to 10 -15 per cent hike in fee this year.
One international school, in fact, refused to give books to parents until they bought uniform - two sets each of both regular and sports. “It was only after a group of parents resisted that the director of the school met them and told them that there was a miscommunication regarding the issue. We were told that we did not have to buy uniforms.
The catch, however, was that only those parents who protested were informed this, others were still forced to buy both books and uniforms,” said a parent, on condition of anonymity.
In another school in Bachupally, parents have to compulsorily purchase stationery along with books. Hamid Syed, whose daughter is in class III, spent Rs 8, 866 on books and additional Rs 3,000 on stationery. “The problem is that most parents just raise eyebrows, not their voices. Schools issue notices and we do the bidding. We don’t question. This emboldens them. What else can justify the money the school is charging for stationery,” said Syed.
In addition to asking parents to purchase books and stationery, purchasing uniforms and shoes that fade and tear off within months is also making parents angry. “The sports dress, in particular, starts to look old within a couple of months and then teachers singles out students and we have to buy a new set.
Last year I bought three sets of sports uniform for my son. Uniforms are not worth the money they charge,” said A Rachna, a parent.
Time and again, CBSE has asked schools affiliated with it to consider what they do as a community service and not business. Further, it has also mandated schools to use only NCERT textbooks, a a view that even the state education department has endorsed and Prof Tirupati Rao recommended in his report.
“It’s not like nothing can’t be done, it’s just that the education department lacks the willingness to take action against erring schools.
We had hoped that the courts would come to our rescue, but so far we have not been able to get a date for our appeal to be heard,” said Ashish Naredi, from Hyderabad Schools Parents Association.
CBSE Math exam paper easy but lengthy, say students
Hyderabad The Central Board of Secondary Education Class 12 students who appeared for their Math exam on Wednesday, found it easy as almost all questions were straightforward. “It was quite a surprise that the questions were so direct and entirely from the NCERT books. I am very happy and hopeful of scoring over 90 % marks,” said Niteesh Jain of Glandale Academy.
HPS punishes two students over pending fees
Hyderabad In another incident of school punishing students over pending fee dues, Hyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur has been accused of harassing two students by not allowing them into classes. The incident came to light on Wednesday when the father of the students studying in classes V and X approached Balala Hakahula Sangham.
HSPA apprehensive over introducing Telugu in CBSE schools
Hyderabad
Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA) has raised apprehensions over how CBSE schools have already started their academic year 2018-19, would introduce Telugu in the midst of the new academic year. While lauding the government’s zeal to make Telugu compulsory and to bring in a legislation to implement it, HSPA in a statement issued on Wednesday said that “the step, however well-intended it may be, could go the Tuglaq way if the implementation issues are not taken care of.”
It said that government needs to understand and analyse the source for the respect and primacy of a q
language.