Last Update: April 02, 2023, 17:35 IST
Bains said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also received several complaints and the state government will not allow education to become a business (Representational image)
School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains took the decision following several complaints from parents and students that private schools were ‘looting’ them in the name of books/notebooks and funds.
The Punjab government has announced setting up of a task force in each district to investigate complaints against private schools.
decided by the school Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said following several complaints from parents and students that private schools were “looting” them in the name of books/copies and funds, said an official statement on Saturday.
Each task force will have three principals from one district. It will investigate the complaints received by the Education Minister and submit its report to the regulatory authority, the statement said.
Bains said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also received several complaints and the state government will not allow education to become a business.
He said that all work would be done as per law and rules and violators would not be spared.
He said that a few days ago, a letter was issued to private schools through all the District Education Officers of the state, asking them to follow the instructions of the School Regulatory Authority regarding books, copies and fees and funds.
Bains said he was shocked to know that private schools were selling Class I books for Rs 7,000.
He directed the owners and management of the schools to teach from NCERT books only and inform about any increase in fees/funds by 30th April.
As per the rules, schools in towns have to display the names of three to five shops from where students can buy books outside their buildings, while institutions in cities like Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar must display a list of 20 such shops .
The Punjab government had last year said that private schools cannot force children to buy books, uniforms or stationery items from select shops.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)