Parents from across the country have lodged complaints. These complaints allege that government schools are pressureing them to purchase textbooks published by private publishers. In light of this the National Human Rights Commission NHRC has taken a significant decision following the parents grievances.
A bench headed by Priyank Kanoongo has issued notices to all state governments regarding this matter. This action was initiated based on a complaint filed by the Namo Foundation.
To ensure compliance with the National School Bag Policy and Section 29 of the Right to Education Act the Commission has directed state governments to submit detailed reports. Furthermore the Commission has sought information regarding the number of textbooks published by the SCERT as well as the ratio of students enrolled in government versus private schools.
The Commission also sought clarification regarding the obstacles hindering the provision of SCERT NCERT textbooks to students in government schools and the challenges specifically concerning fee structures involved in implementing a similar system in private schools. According to the Commission creating a disparity in curricula and textbooks based solely on whether a school is under private or government management constitutes academic discrimination.
Additionally a notice has been issued seeking an explanation as to why the curriculum prescribed by examination boards for classes up to Grade 8 differs from that prescribed by the designated academic authority. The Commission maintains that differentiating curricula and textbooks based on the management structure whether government or private falls under the category of academic discrimination.
Furthermore a notice has also been issued to the Ministry of Education regarding the discrepancy between the curriculum prescribed by examination boards for classes up to Grade 8 and the curriculum prescribed by the designated academic authority.
