According to a recent directive from the Delhi Education Department, all recognized private schools are now prohibited from using textbooks for elementary classes that are not prescribed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) or the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). This mandate is in strict compliance with the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009. As per the directives, any school mandating students to study textbooks not included in the prescribed list of NCERT or SCERT will be in violation of the RTE Act.
In April this year, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had written to states, instructing them to clarify that if any school forces children to study textbooks for elementary classes other than those prescribed by NCERT or the respective SCERTs, it would be considered a violation of the Right to Education Act 2009.
The directions issued by the Education Department emphasize that no child should face discrimination, harassment, or neglect for using books approved by the academic authorities. Violations of these guidelines, causing ‘mental or physical suffering’ to students, could invoke the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015.
According to Ashok Agarwal, president of the All India Parents’ Association, the directive is unworkable. Authorities cannot control private schools in such matters, as the schools can easily persuade parents to purchase books from private publications in addition to NCERT textbooks.
