Srinagar, Nov 19: Acting tough on violations of academic norms, the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education has initiated major action against private educational institutions found prescribing private publications instead of Board-approved books.
JKBOSE Joint Secretary Shahnaz Chowdary said that four private schools will lose their affiliation, while eight others have been fined for violating Board guidelines.
“We have inspected several schools across districts and wherever private publications were found being used, action has been taken. We have fined eight schools and the affiliation of four schools is being terminated,” she said.
Shahnaz said that every private school affiliated with JKBOSE is bound to follow the norms under SRO 123. “Clause 11 clearly states that only books prescribed by the Board shall be used in these schools,” she added, explaining that the JKBOSE textbooks are based on NCERT standards and designed to support learning as well as competitive exam preparation.
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She also said that private publications burden students with heavy costs, while Board textbooks are comparatively affordable. “Private books are costing parents thousands, whereas Board books are priced in hundreds,” she said, urging parents to rely on prescribed curriculum for their children’s benefit.
Referring to the implementation of the 2020 bag policy, which aims to reduce the academic load on young learners, Shahnaz said that there should be no school bags for nursery and primary classes. “In classes one and two, the weight should remain between one to 1.3 kilograms,” she said, adding that education should be stress-free and not depend on excessive books.
Speaking about past legal challenges, Shahnaz said some schools had taken the Board to court in 2022 to seek permission to introduce private publications. “Even then, the Hon’ble court decided in favour of the Board under Section 26, upholding that schools must follow JKBOSE-prescribed books,” she added.
To address parental concerns, Shahnaz said that grievance cells have been established in the head office and all sub-offices. “Parents can freely register complaints. They can visit our offices, submit their grievances in writing, and necessary action will be taken,” she added.
Shahnaz also said that the objective of the drive is to prioritize students’ welfare, ensure affordability, and maintain uniform academic standards across private schools in the Union Territory. (KNS)
