The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) recently directed all educational institutions affiliated to it to stop selling school textbooks, notebooks, uniforms, shoes, bags and stationery items on their premises or through select vendors. The move follows a litany of complaints from parents and several other stakeholders. However, as this directive was issued mid-April, it is unlikely to serve its purpose this academic year, as a majority of schools had stocked books and school uniforms in March. For some CBSE schools, the development does not signal a major change. For a majority of parents, on the other hand, it spells inconvenience.
‘Our work is easier’
GT Aloha Vidhya Mandir, Neelankarai, has been providing uniforms, textbooks and even bags for several years. According to K. Kumaran, the school’s CEO, the material and pattern of the school uniforms are not readily available anywhere. “After seven years, we changed the uniform this year. Since it is a new fabric, it won't be available at any shop. Besides, it comes with the school emblem on it. Parents are, however, given the option of stitching the uniform with their choice of tailor.”
While students of P.S. Senior Secondary School, Mylapore, can reuse second-hand textbooks, they are asked to purchase the notebooks provided by the school. “For each class, we provide a customised notebook, in terms of size and number of pages. We give them 48-page, demi-size notebooks to reduce the overall book weight and help students write more,” says Lakshmi Srinivasan, the principal.
She adds that schools offer such an arrangement to parents to help them complete their shopping under one roof and in a day, and spare them the trouble of running around the city for all textbooks and school items. “If the new rule becomes effective next year, it will remove one segment of our work,” she says.
Kumaran agrees. “Next year, we will give the parents a list of textbooks that they could buy anywhere. Also, now that we have time, we will identify a vendor who can provide the uniform material. Parents can buy the material and stitch the uniform based on the pattern we provide.”
‘This is not fair’
This year, parents have managed to buy all textbooks and school uniforms. Many, however, dread shopping for the next academic year.
Sanjay Jhaver, a resident of Kilpauk, paid the school fee online and received the textbooks for his two children studying at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Kilpauk. “This year, we had a narrow escape. A new set of problems will begin the next year,” says Sanjay. “I feel schools should at least provide the textbooks as parents need not be concerned about its availability on time, edition and publication. There will be no standardisation if parents are to buy books from outside.”
Deepa Aathreya, mother of a Class 11 student of Chettinad Vidyashram, R.A. Puram, has a similar concern. “I think even notebooks need to be provided by schools. If each student has a different notebook, it might lead to peer pressure. So, in order to make it uniform, schools must provide notebooks as well.”
A welcome move
And for some parents, like Ruchika Sood, this is a welcome move. “We are given no options,” points out Ruchika, whose children study at NPS International School, Perumbakkam. She says the school informs the parents of a date and time to collect the books and give measurements for uniforms on the campus. This year, the mail had links to sites from where they could get the uniforms. “I am happy CBSE is doing a good check on schools. As it is, they are earning through the fee; this would have been an added benefit. As parents, we were bound to buy uniforms from them,” says the resident of Kelambakkam.
