Srinagar, Oct 30: Despite repeated government directions to use textbooks prescribed by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) in affiliated private schools, parents across Kashmir continue to bear the burden of purchasing costly books published by private publishers.
Parents complained that schools prescribe additional textbooks and restrict their availability to selected bookshops.
With the commencement of a new academic session every year, the issue resurfaces, with parents alleging that private schools have turned textbook sales into a lucrative business by prescribing books that cost several times more than the complete set of textbooks recommended by JKBOSE.
Parents alleged that schools affiliated with JKBOSE continue to prescribe additional textbooks published by private publishers in violation of government instructions, substantially adding to the financial burden on families.
The cost difference is significant. A complete set of JKBOSE-prescribed textbooks for primary classes costs around Rs 700, while a single additional textbook prescribed by some private schools is priced between Rs 500 and Rs 600, parents said.
In several cases, parents said, schools have shifted to curricula such as Cambridge, with a set of textbooks costing between Rs 7,000 and Rs 8,000, making education increasingly unaffordable for many families.
“The schools have made it a business and are earning profits out of it. These textbooks are kept available only at selected bookshops, leaving parents with no choice but to purchase them at whatever price is demanded,” a parent told Greater Kashmir.
Parents alleged that some schools and booksellers have an understanding with publishers, with the latter earning substantial margins on the sale of prescribed books.
“The booksellers earn huge profits from these textbooks and commissions are allegedly passed on to schools as well. The government needs to investigate this arrangement,” another parent said.
As already reported, the government has warned private schools of strict action and directed them not to force parents to purchase textbooks or uniforms from any particular bookshop.
Apart from high prices, parents have raised concerns over the practice of changing textbook editions and curricula every academic session, which, they alleged, prevents books from being reused by younger siblings and forces families to purchase fresh sets every year.
“Even if schools prescribe additional textbooks, the complete list should be made public well before the commencement of the academic session and the books should be available in the open market rather than being restricted to selected outlets,” parents said.
Over the past several years, JKBOSE has made it mandatory for its affiliated private schools to adopt Board-prescribed textbooks from primary to Class 12 under the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education Act, 1975.
The Act empowers JKBOSE to prescribe courses of instruction, curricula, syllabi and textbooks for different academic levels.
In March 2024, the Board directed its sub-offices to conduct inspections to verify whether private schools were complying with the prescribed textbook norms for the 2024-25 academic session. It had also warned of action against institutions found violating the instructions.
However, parents said the directions had failed to bring any change on the ground.
They also questioned the School Education Department’s alleged failure to monitor the practice and initiate action against schools accused of burdening parents through expensive textbook packages.
“The government orders and directions have remained confined to papers. The schools get their job done within a few days and later the government wakes up to the issue, which doesn’t serve any purpose,” parents said.
The issue has further raised questions over the role of the Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC), which parents expect to regulate private schools and address complaints related to their functioning and financial practices.
However, the committee has remained without a chairman for over two months following the expiry of the previous chairman’s tenure, raising concerns over its ability to effectively address complaints during the crucial admission and textbook-purchasing period.
Parents said the government should ensure that private schools, irrespective of the curriculum they offer, disclose their prescribed textbook lists on their official websites well before the start of the academic session.
“Whether a school follows Cambridge, Oxford or any other curriculum, parents should be informed about the complete list of books in advance. The lists should be uploaded on school websites so that parents can purchase textbooks from any bookshop of their choice instead of being forced to visit specific outlets,” a parent said.
They said the government must move beyond issuing annual advisories and ensure effective inspections and accountability to prevent the commercialisation of textbook sales at the cost of students and their families.
Minister for Education Shamim Firdous was not available for comment on the issue.
