Don’t force students to buy textbooks by pvt publishers: CBSE

All schools affiliated to CBSE have to follow a syllabi prescribed by the NCERT up to the middle class level (class VIII) and syllabi prescribed by CBSE board from class IX to class XII.

Restricting its schools from prescribing expensive textbooks by private publishers, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a circular to all its schools to stick to the mandatory National Council of Educational Research and Technology (NCERT) textbooks.

The circular was issued by the board following a series of complaints stating that many schools have been forcing students and parents to buy textbooks other than those prescribed by the NCERT.

It states: “The board has received reports and complaints regarding the pressure exercised in many schools on children and their parents to purchase excessive number of textbooks. It was brought to our notice that parents are being forced to buy textbooks by private publishers, other than NCERT which are not not only costly but voluminous, and unscientifically designed.”

All schools affiliated to CBSE have to follow a syllabi prescribed by the NCERT up to the middle class level (class VIII) and syllabi prescribed by CBSE board from class IX to class XII. Currently the board has 14,000 schools across the country of which over 340 are in Maharashtra.

D T Sudarshan Rao, Joint Secretary (academic & training) CBSE said : “This practice by several schools is jeopardizing the proper teaching – learning activities of the schools and pressurising students. As per the recommendations of Yashpal committee, one of the reforms pertains to reduction in the number of textbooks for different classes.”

Rao said that this has become a matter of grave concern and the board will reiterate its stand, that it will not be acceptable to the board if schools force parents to purchase extra books other than those prescribed by the board and NCERT. “Despite of all the initiative the board had brought in several schools were still found to be prescribing additional books and overburdening students. We have warned the schools against this,” added Rao.

The schools, however, complained that the delay in receiving NCERT books is why some of the subject teachers have been prescribing books by other publishers. “We have not received any complaints from parents yet. If the NCERT books are available on time we will not prescribe books by other publishers. Besides the additional books just help students,” said a principal of a south Mumbai school.

Source | Indian Express | 31 July 2015