CBSE issues notice to Bengaluru school over forcing parents to buy books from one vendor

BENGALURU: Euro School, Chimney Hills, Bengaluru was recently flagged for using coercive strategies for making parents buy school books and uniforms from particular vendors and not following the CBSE guidelines, receiving a notice from CBSE to stop such practices. Parents association in the city raised concerns that the issue was prevalent in many schools where they engaged in such businesses for earning more money. They said that often NECRT books are reprinted with changed prices and names or them being split in two parts and parents are asked to buy those particular ones.

Mohamed Shakeel, president, Voice of Parents Association, Karnataka said, many schools were rampantly violating the law and using tactics of reprinting books with changed prices, splitting books in two parts that doubled the cost or ensured the selling of the books via particular vendors.

He explained that the states had the liberty to tweak the NCERT books slightly as per the state’s needs but the schools were misusing it and eventually printing their own books under a private publisher and naming it their own curriculum. For instance, he said, Euro schools or Orchid International School had developed their own textbooks calling it their in-house curricula like Cerebrum or Eduvate.  

After failed efforts of reaching the Orchids International School authorities, Ajay Merchant, a parent, eventually wrote to CBSE in December 2021 bringing it to their attention that the school was not using NCERT textbooks prescribed by CBSE and were involved in printing and publishing their own curriculum. They further added that the school management insisted for parents to buy uniforms, textbooks, shoes and other necessities from a particular brand and vendor and higher costs.

In revert of notice complaint against Euro School, CBSE has guided the school to comply with the directions of the board and follow all norms. Further ensuring that parents were able to buy books/notebooks from open markets and not solely from specified vendors. They were also asked to ensure compliance and furnish ‘Action Taken Report’ within seven days of the issued letter.

Ajay also mentioned that the textbooks published by the school would cost them 7-9 thousand yearly in comparison to 2-3 thousand for NCERT books which gave schools a substantial profit margin. He also pointed out that the CBSE and state education authorities lacked communication and would not know under whose jurisdiction the matter would fall.