Govt reins in private schools

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, January 22

The Himachal Pradesh State Education Department has tightened the noose on private schools in the state and has issued fresh guidelines from this session of admission. There are over 1,400 private schools in the state affiliated with the CBSE, the ICSE and the HP Board of School Education enjoying tax exemptions under various provisions of the Income Tax Act.

The state Director of Higher Education in a recent communication directed all heads of schools in the state to abide by the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulation Act and the Right to Education Act.

All private schools should immediately constitute parent-teacher associations as provided under the Right to Education Act-2009 in which two-third members should be parents and the remaining one-third teachers.

“It is mandatory for private schools to comply with the provisions of the HP Private Educational Institutions (Regulation) Act-1997 and Rules 2003 and the Right to Education Act-2009. The fee and other charges should be in consonance with the facilities provided to the students,” government instructions stated.

The state government had barred private schools from selling books, stationery, uniform and also not to compel the students to purchase books, exercise books, uniform and shoes from the shops specified by the school managements.

With the commencement of new academic session the parents seeking admission for their children in kindergarten classes in private schools have made various complaints to the state government saying that it has become difficult for them to get their wards admitted in private schools. Instances have been reported where heavy sums of fee are being demanded by the school authorities to give admissions. Hence, the state government has swung into action and initiated measures to check high handedness by private schools.

Checking high-handedness

• Heads of private schools in the state have been directed to abide by the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulation Act and the Right to Education Act
• Private schools told to constitute parent-teacher associations
• The state government had earlier barred private schools from selling books, stationery, uniform, etc