Bengaluru: In possibly the first concerted effort to crack down on teachers taking separate tuition classes for the students they teach at school, private schools are now asking teachers to sign an undertaking that they will not conduct private sessions for students from their schools.
In some cases, teachers have been asked to not tutor students they teach in their class, but can hold private sessions for students from other sections in the same school.
The problem seems to have been accentuated by the introduction of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) as a competitive exam and this has resulted in more students seeking tuition classes. Principals point out that when these students attend classes by teachers from their own school or class, the teacher tends to be biased towards them in school.
D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary schools in Karnataka, said that they had sent a circular to all their 2,500 school managements about teachers tutoring students from their class. “There are ethical concerns as teachers may favour students they might take tuitions for as they will have to correct their test papers and assignments. They can, however, tutor students from other classes in the school,” he said.
Schools affiliated to central boards such as the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) too have asked teachers for similar undertakings. B. Gayatri Devi, principal of Little Flower Public School, said that the teachers of the school were being made to sign a code of conduct which states that they will not take tutor students enrolled in the school. "Even if they do not teach the students, there is a potential for interaction with students and they may come in contact with their assignments or worksheets, which can have negative repercussions. So it is best if it is avoided,” she said adding that the teachers were free to take private tuitions for students from other schools.
Parents, however, are not very happy with the move. Shekhar S., parent of a Class 9 student, said, “My son goes for tuition classes conducted by his class teacher. It works very well as his teacher knows his weakness and topics where he needs additional attention. This is supplemented during home tuitions and benefits the child.”
