Telangana seizes textbooks from private schools

Hyderabad: There is more trouble for private schools as TS authorities have seized textbooks which have not been prescribed by the state government.

The government is now under pressure from the contracted publishers who say they are supplying government textbooks in the market but demand is low since the schools have supplied their own textbooks in April itself. Schools, on the other hand, say that they have informed the HC that they have purchased their own textbooks this year. Even as the textbooks issue is pending in HC, officials of the TS education department are asking private schools not to stock private textbooks and use only those prescribed by the government.

Stocks of private textbooks have been seized from some schools in Hyderabad and other districts. Now, publishers of government textbooks are pressuring the government to ensure that the diktat is followed since their books would go unsold if schools use private textbooks.

Earlier, the education department had issued a circular directing all schools to follow only government prescribed textbooks. Private schools approached the HC seeking exemption for this year, and said they would follow government textbooks from the next academic year.

“We have already filed an affidavit in the High Court that we sold the private textbooks in April itself and prayed for an exemption this year. But the government is telling schools not to stock private textbooks,” said Mr S. Srinivasa Reddy, president, Telangana Private Schools Managements Association said.

He said officials had seized sale counters in some schools in Hyderabad, Medak, Mahbubnagar and Nizamabad. The matter is to come up for hearing in the High Court on Monday.

Caught in the middle are students and their parents. The curriculum generally followed by private schools is a year ahead of that prescribed by the government. “If the government textbooks are followed, the students would virtually go back a year,” said Mr M. Adarsh Reddy, a parent.

Government officials, however, are confident that court will rule in their favour. “How can private schools decide what is the right time for children to learn something? How can they decide the curriculum? We are confident the High Court will not rule against us,” a senior official in the TS school education department said.