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Will act against private schools ‘selling book sets at ₹10k’: J&K education minister
Firdous, after a book distribution function for students of government schools, said that the private school administrations won’t be allowed to have a free run in harassing the parents
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The newly appointed school and higher education minister, Shamim Firdous, on Monday vowed action against private schools for allegedly selling uniforms and book sets to parents at ₹7,000 to ₹10,000.
Firdous, after a book distribution function for students of government schools, said that the private school administrations won’t be allowed to have a free run in harassing the parents.
“We are calling a meeting in which I will sit with my education director and others. Private schools are certainly doing certain things. They are making their own laws. Poor students are not provided admission. Parents are harassed over fees, books and uniforms. I will be taking drastic steps to rein them in,” she said.
The new academic session in Kashmir begins in November, following school exams in October and the declaration of results between late October and the first week of November. Firdous said the schools are free to provide the best education to the students. “But they are adamant on telling parents that the uniform should be taken from them,” she said.
She said this issue will be discussed. “There are reports that some schools are selling book sets ₹7,000 to ₹10,000. We are soon passing an order. This will happen as per a discipline where everything will be discussed,” she said.
Firdous said they have started providing free books and uniforms to government school students from Class 1 to 8 from November instead of March earlier. “There is no shortage of school books. As you know we would provide books from March or after December but this year, for the first time, we have started providing books in November when the next session starts,” she added.
