Srinagar: The district administration Anantnag has directed all the educational institutions particularly the private schools regarding the implementation of government orders issued on regulation of weight of school bags and purchasing of books from a specific vendor.
The administration has also censured the private schools for violating the government orders issued from time to time regarding regulation of fee structure and charging of capitation fees at the time of admissions.
The Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Anantnag in a circular issued to all the private schools has directed the management of the institutions to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations regarding number of textbooks to be recommended for each class, reducing school bag weight, and assigning homework to students.
The ADM Anantnag has referred to the Rule 8A of J&K School Education Act-2002 noting that textbooks should be recommended strictly according to the government’s guidelines.
“The school heads should ensure that no formal books are prescribed at pre-primary (Nursery, LKG, UKG) levels, and students of these classes should be provided with a maximum of two notebooks to be kept in the teacher’s custody in the school itself,” the circular reads
The schools have been directed that students of pre-primary level should not be asked to carry any bag except a light carrier for their lunch box.
The ADM has further instructed the schools to follow the government guidelines for prescribing textbooks noting that schools have been prohibited from prescribing any other subjects except language and arithmetic for class 1st and 2nd, language, environmental science, and arithmetic for class 3rd to 5th, and language, social science, mathematics, and science for class 6th and 7th.
“Students may not be asked to bring additional books and extra material to school, and the weight of the school bag should not exceed the prescribed limit,” the circular reads.
The authorities have also directed schools that homework prescribed to the students should not go beyond the recommendations of School Bag Policy 2020. “The government has strictly prohibited private schools from recommending the purchase of books and uniforms from a single vendor, and parents should not be forced to buy extra books.
As per the circular, all the private schools have been directed to notify through the list of subjects and the books prescribed, their websites, besides other provisions, facilities available for the students. “No admission or capitation fee should be charged for new admissions, and annual fees should not exceed the slab prescribed by J&K Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools,” it reads.
The district administration has directed all the schools, especially private schools to strictly adhere to these instructions. “In case of any deviation, action under rules will be initiated against the said school to the extent of de-recognition or blacklisting,” the circular reads.