Parents take to Twitter against sale of books, uniforms in schools

Several parents took to Twitter to slam private schools in the city which are insisting that they buy books, uniforms and other stuff at the school itself and for charging ‘excess’ fees.

Voice of Parents Karnataka (VOPK) has demanded that the government intervene and stop harassment by the schools.

As explained by several parents sending their wards to private unaided schools in Bengaluru, the schools are charging exorbitantly for notebooks and textbooks.

“Compared to the market rates, everything is priced 50% higher at the schools and we were forced to buy from them,” tweeted a parent.

Parents said on Twitter that schools are insisting that parents buy uniforms, textbooks and other stuff from the school or from a particular vendor.

Some schools even insist that parents buy shoes of particular brands.

Parents have filed complaints before the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the district education regulatory authority in this regard.

“I am sending my daughter to one of the top schools and for a 200-page long note book, they charge double the MRP,” said a parent.

“You do the math on how much excess fees schools charge. Considering that approximately 1,500 students study in a school, you calculate how much extra they earn,” said representatives of VOPK.

“It is not just a financial burden, it is a mental harassment for us every year,” said another parent.

“In my son’s school, even though he is not interested in karate or swimming, we have been forced to pay the fees. If we resist, they ask us to take our child out of the school. They say, only we have a problem,” said a parent.

As per rules, schools can only provide a list of books or pattern of uniforms and shoes. Parents are free to buy the same from the open market.

Fleecing parents is a violation of the Fee Regulation under Karnataka Education Institutions (Classification, Regulation and Prescription of Curricula) amended rules, 2018.

The Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) too has banned schools from selling stuff or insisting that parents buy from them or from a particular vendor.