Some private and corporate schools in Hyderabad are breaking the rules set by the Education department by pressuring parents to buy books and uniforms from the schools themselves. These schools have increased the prices of these items by 20%. According to the rules of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Telangana State Board of Secondary Education, private schools cannot force parents to buy expensive study material, books, and uniforms from the schools.
Parents have alleged that schools are not being punished for violating these norms. They are forcing parents to buy uniforms and books from their premises and selling them at more than the maximum retail price (MRP). Schools are supposed to provide names of three vendors but are instead asking parents to buy books from the school itself, which is not allowed.
Parents are being made to buy the whole kit, including textbooks, notebooks, and study material, which costs around Rs 10,000. This is a problem when the same books can be bought online for Rs 7,000-8,000. “Selling books and uniforms on school premises has become a business; schools’ managements are forcing students to buy books, uniforms, and other stuff from schools. Every year parents are facing the same situation,” said Venkat Sainath, joint secretary of the Hyderabad School Parents’ Association.
Parents are also concerned that schools are increasing prices each year without providing any justification. They are asking why they need to burn their pockets and buy books from schools when they can buy the same books in the market at a reasonable price. Until the government implements some norms, this problem will continue. In other states like Delhi, stern action is taken whenever any such activity is reported.
