Rajasthan: Private schools asked not to change uniforms for at least five years

Jaipur: The Rajasthan education department has issued fresh guidelines for the private schools to curb the practice of forcing parents to buy a different school uniform every new academic year and also forcing them to buy books from particular shops.

Two separate orders have been issued in this regard by the education department. The department has warned that the affiliation of the schools which don’t follow these norms strictly will be cancelled.

As per the orders, the parents could not be forced to buy uniforms, ties, shoes, books and notebooks from particular shops. They should be free to buy these items from whichever shop they want to.

The schools have also been barred from printing the name of the schools and other information on educational materials. The administration has also banned the schools from selling books and notebooks inside the school premises.

The private schools have been asked to ensure that the books used by them should be available at a minimum of three book venders.

“Most importantly, the schools have been asked not to change the school uniform for at least five years. In order to force parents to buy school uniform for their children frequently, the schools are currently changing their uniforms almost every year. We have been receiving these complaints frequently,” said an education department officer.

The similar guidelines had been issued by the department last years also, but they apparently fell on deaf ears. The majority of the schools are not following these guidelines.

“We have decided to cancel the affiliation of the school found violating these guidelines this year,” said an officer.