700 schools get notice over false CBSE affiliation claim

The department has formed a three-member committee, headed by block education officers (BEOs) in every taluk, to check the schools’ affiliation and other issues in their jurisdiction. There are also several cases where schools are being run illegally without affiliation to any of the boards, said a senior officer.

Karnataka department of school education and literacy (DSEL) has issued a notice to private schools that have falsely claimed affiliation with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), officials close to the development said on Wednesday.

Karnataka department of school education and literacy issued a notice to private schools that falsely claimed affiliation with CBSE (Agencies)

Nearly 700 schools in the state were issued notices for making these misleading claims, out of which over 600 of these schools are located in Bengaluru, they added.

The department has formed a three-member committee, headed by block education officers (BEOs) in every taluk, to check the schools’ affiliation and other issues in their jurisdiction. There are also several cases where schools are being run illegally without affiliation to any of the boards, said a senior officer.

“We will shut down those schools we find are running without any registration. In case any of the schools have registered but are affiliated to one board and are claiming that they are affiliated to another and are teaching that syllabus, we will have to take action according to the Karnataka Education Act,” said the commissioner for the department of public instruction Vishal R.

The order comes after parents were protesting against Orchids The International School in Panathur in the city, alleging that the school administration falsely promoted themselves as a CBSE school and duped them of lakhs of rupees in fees.

The Nagarabhavi branch of the Orchids International School has been instructed by the BEO of Bengaluru South 1 to halt new student enrolments.

The issue came to light after the school administration informed the parents that their children would be writing the exams in the state syllabus. The parents have expressed their outrage against the school, saying that the students have been taught the CBSE syllabus throughout the year and are now asking them to write the exams for the state syllabus.

The issue regarding false CBSE affiliation claims was highlighted after Karnataka Government decided to conduct public exams for class 5 and 8 students. The decision forced schools, which previously claimed CBSE affiliation, to start using state board textbooks and change their teaching methods to prepare for the exams.

However, the school management said the brand of schools followed all rules laid down by the regulating authorities and thereby conforms to requirements to operate in the state.

“Orchids The International School, a brand of schools, has always maintained transparency in their admission documentation and the admission process. As a responsible education institution, Orchids The International School, a brand of schools, has followed all rules and guidelines laid down by the state education department, NCERT, NEP as well as all other regulating authorities responsible for education in the state,” the institution said in a statement.