Hyderabad: The CBSE said in reply to an RTI query filed by an activist that SR Digi School, Tarnaka, or its branches were not affiliated to the board. Anti-corruption activist Vijay Gopal had filed the RTI application with the CBSE. The school management claims it is affiliated to the CBSE, and forces children to buy textbooks that are not recognised by either the NCERT or the SCERT, Mr Gopal alleged. Mr Gopal said a complaint was filed against the school with the Hyderabad collector on June 11 under the RTE but no action was taken within the 90-day deadline.
He also filed a petition with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) asking it look into the matter. Mr Gopal said he had received complaints from parents that the school was operating on even second Saturdays and forced the parents to buy books and uniforms from them.
“We were not aware of this before so we applied for admission for our niece in the school. It was only afterwards that found that the school was operating without CBSE affiliation but they were taking donations. Hence, we did not continue her admission there,” Mr Gopal alleged.
He said he filed the RTI query after the management forced the family to buy books from the school, and charged them Rs 2,925. “The books did not mention NCERT or CBSE and said the author was a BCom graduate,” Mr Gopal said. He said CBSE should start taking action on schools that falsely claim affiliation with the board, under IPC Section 420 (cheating). Asked about the complaint, Commissioner, School Education, T. Vijay Kumar, said, ‘’The district education officer can only give a no-objection certificate to run schools affiliated to the state board. For CBSE, schools have to take affiliation from the board. But in this case we will conduct an inquiry to check if the school is affiliated to the CBSE or not.”
Despite repeated attempts, the school authorities were not available for comment.
Schools flout CBSE norms
The Central Board of Secondary Education has given multiple advisories to schools to sell only NCERT books and not that by any other publisher, and to adhere to provisions of its affiliation bylaws. Activists and parents alleged that some schools sell books from private authors, and they are forced to buy them.
The CBSE says schools can open small outlets to supply NCERT books. The schools are also permitted to provide stationery items. Parents are free to buy textbooks and stationery items from the school or from any vendor of their choice.
Schools which sell non-NCERT texts will attract strict action, the CBSE says. Mr K Venkat Sainath, member, Hyderabad School Parents Association, said, “CBSE provides affiliation from Class 8 to 12. A majority of schools just get a no-objection certificate to run the schools. From LKG to Class 7 they teach CBSE curriculum but don’t use NCERT books. It’s quite a huge business.”
