BHUBANESWAR: Despite a government order to use books prescribed by the National Council of Education, Research and Training (NCERT), several private schools in the State are allegedly prescribing study materials of private publications for the upcoming 2021-22 academic session.
The Odisha Parents’ Federation has approached the State government seeking its immediate direction to the School and Mass Education department to intervene into the matter. They said many schools in the State, mostly in Balangir, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Berhampur, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar have started selling books published by the private publishers to students which is a clear violation of government order issued last year.
“We have received over 100 cases from the State where parents have alleged that schools are preparing to sell books and study materials of private publishers on the basis of an interim legal order. However, the order has been vacated on February 17 this year for which the State government must issue an order to private schools to prescribe NCERT or SCERT books,” the Federation wrote in a letter to School and Mass Education Secretary Satyabrat Sahu. Acting on the direction of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the State government had issued instructions to all private schools last year to use books prescribed by the NCERT for teaching.
The SME department had asked the Directorate of Elementary Education to ensure that all schools affiliated to it prescribe NCERT books. However, members of the parents body alleged that most private schools affiliated to CBSE and ICSE are not following the order to earn more profit. The SME secretary couldn’t be reached for his comments on the matter.