Nagpur : Taking strong note of a PIL against commercialization of education; Justice Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Z U Haq of the Nagpur bench of Mumbai High Court on Tuesday directed Maharashtra’s School Education department, Union Ministry for Human Resources Development, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Education Co-Director of Nagpur division to be present in the court on 11 July.
Right to Education (RTE) activist Sandeep Agrawal, through his counsel B J Agrawal, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Nagpur bench of Mumbai High Court seeking a check on commercialization of education by education institutes.
The petitioner alleged that schools were selling books, notebooks and stationary at very higher prices. Parents are also being compelled to shell out more money and buy uniforms from particular shops. The petitioner alleged that schools were earning huge commissions for promoting books and uniforms of private companies.
Agrawal stated that schools have been avoiding NCERT books and are asking students to buys books of private publishers at four to five times higher prices. He said that schools must normally use the NCERT books and discourage books of private publishers. However, almost all the schools are illegally using books of private publishers. Agrawal demanded action against all such schools.
He stated that earlier students used to get their uniforms stitched from tailors and it could be used for years, thus saving some money of parents. However, now schools have adopted the practice of changing the uniform every year or every alternate year. Moreover, the uniforms are made available at particular shop at very higher prices, thus putting more pressure on parents’ pockets and earning more commission to the schools.
The petitioner has requested the court to take action in this regard and put a check on the commercialization of education.
