16 May,2011 06:31 AM IST | | Alifiya Khan
2003 Bombay High Court ruling states no school shall force students' guardians to buy uniforms, books from it or specific shops, but parents complain that private schools in city continue to do so with impunity
In 2003, parents came together under the umbrella of a Mumbai-based NGO called Forum for Fairness in Education (FFE) and decided to fight the tyranny of private schools. Fed up with having to pay double the money for sub-standard study material and uniforms forced on them by private schools that refused to allow parents to shop on their own, they decided to teach such schools a lesson. And that is when the Bombay High Court delivered a judgment that no school shall force a parent to buy books, uniform, shoes or study material from them.
Up in arms: Crescent school parents' association members at a recent
protest. Pic/Jignesh Mistry
Eight years after the ruling, the ground reality has not changed much, complain parents. In private schools in the city, parents say they have to grin and bear it if they wish a peaceful year ahead for their wards.u00a0In Part II of MiD DAY's campaign against private schools, we take up the issue of forced selling of study material which parents say is the topmost worry on their mind as of now.
At Gultekdi's Crescent High School, this issue escalated to such an extent last month that finally the police and municipal authorities had to intervene. Hrishikesh Shah, parent of a pre-school student, said the school had made it compulsory for parents to buy study material from it. The parents even came together and objected to it, but the school refused to relent.
"The school had called in private suppliers to sell study material like books, uniform, shoes, et cetera, on the school premises. We were told to come and purchase from them, but we felt that the same books were available outside for a much lower price and were of a much better quality. That's why we objected but the school didn't agree and things got out of hand," Shah said. On April 22, the police had to be summoned to the school premises to subdue the parents, after which the municipal corporation sent a letter to the school to shut the shop.
The situation is no different at Salisbury Park's Hume McHenry School. Parents complain that the school never asked them for their suggestions and simply forced its decisions on them. Ganesh Bhimanpalli, a resident of Bhawani Peth whose son studies in Std V at Hume McHenry School, said the school refuses to hand over the list of books to parents for purchase.
"Even if we want to purchase the books, how can we do it in this scenario? Usually, in other schools, parents are handed over a list of textbooks and notebooks and other study material to be bought for the next academic year. But this school insists that it will provide all the study material as it can't trust our judgment in buying these things!" he said.
Parents' initiative
At Sinhagad Springdale School, parents are so fed up with the situation that they said they have organised a fair today and tomorrow to sell uniforms and textbooks bought according to the syllabus but which are available at much cheaper rates compared to the same items sold by the school. Sinhagad Road resident Nitin Pagare, whose triplets study in the Std IV of the Narhe campus of the school, said parents would find books at least 15-20 per cent cheaper.
"Just imagine how much profit they were making. All we did was protest when they forced us to buy the books, get a letter from the corporation and make them give us a detailed list. We went to the market, asked for quotations based on bulk purchase and now we have proof to show they were profiteering," he said.
(With inputs from Manoj Chakraborty)
The Other Side
School managements vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said that parents had twisted the story.Bakul Bhosale, principal of Hume McHenry School, agreed that they did ask students to buy books only from the school but said that there was a reason behind it. "We are an ICSE board affiliated school and that's why our teaching and methods are difficult from the local SSC schools. For those schools, it is easy to give a list as only the textbook is available for each subject which they have to go and buy. But for us, there are 10 books from different publications and every school decides which one to follow. Parents can make mistakes and that's why we insisted that we provide the books, but if anyone wants to buy on their own, we are ready to give a list from now on," he said. A V Deshpande, registrar of Sinhagad Springdale School, claimed that parents are provided a list of required items when they ask for it. The official refused to comment further. M A Daruwalla, principal of Crescent High School, claimed that some parents were lying. "Most parents are very happy and came to us saying that this move by school of getting suppliers into the school on a particular day had saved them a lot of trouble. It is just the handiwork of a few people who want to give the school a bad name," she said.
What the law says
In 2003, the Bombay High Court ruled that no school shall force parents to buy study material, books, uniform, shoes or any such things from it. It also stated that schools do not have the right to tie-up with or identify shops or vendors that will have exclusive rights to sell school uniforms or study material. While schools can identify such shops, they can not enforce parents to purchase material from them. In 2003, the state government also issued a government resolution to this effect, reiterating these points and directing the education officer of the municipal corporation concerned to take action if any violation or complaint is observed.
Voices
It is absolute contempt of court order (for schools to force parents to make purchases from it or specified vendors). Parents can lodge a complaint with our forum as well as education board officials. Very strict action shall be taken against schools
Jayant Jain, president of FFE
The school is involved in profiteering and we are fighting it for long. First, it hiked fees and when we highlighted that, it found another way of earning money by tying up with stationers. Education's become a money-making business for them
Mateen Mujawar, president, Crescent School parents association
Fed up with our children's school's ways, we parents are holding a fair where we will sell uniforms and textbooks. All those who have any doubt over the difference in prices can visit our sale tomorrow and see the proof for themselves
J deshpande, parent of Sinhagad Springdale School student
