S Gopal Puri
DHARAMSHALA: Several government schools in Himachal Pradesh have been found flouting official academic guidelines by sidelining state board-prescribed textbooks and instead compelling students to purchase expensive reference books from private publishers.
The issue has drawn sharp criticism from education authorities, with the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) vowing strict action.
The controversy primarily concerns students of Class XI and XII. Despite the board clearly outlining its curriculum and approved textbooks, several government schools are reportedly ignoring these directives. Instead, they are allegedly pressuring students to buy private publishers’ books, particularly for subjects with practical components.
Burdening students, violating rules
The deviation not only undermines the authority of the state education board but also places unnecessary financial strain on students and their families. Parents and teachers have raised concerns that this practice is becoming a backdoor method to promote certain publishers for commercial gain, all at the cost of students’ academic welfare.
“This is a clear violation of government orders,” said an official source in the education department. “It appears that some schools are prioritizing profit or convenience over policy.”
No more arbitrary practices, HPBOSE warns schools
Reacting strongly to the matter, HPBOSE Secretary Dr Vishal Sharma stated: “This kind of arbitrary behavior will not be tolerated. Any government school found using private textbooks in place of board-prescribed ones will face strict disciplinary action. The principals and subject teachers involved will be held accountable.”
The education department has acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and confirmed that detailed directives are being drafted and circulated to all government schools across the state.
Questions over collusion, commercial interests
The situation raises uncomfortable questions about potential collusion between school officials and private publishers. Critics argue that this could signal a growing commercialisation of education under the guise of “academic enrichment”.
Parents have called for transparency and accountability, questioning who benefits from promoting these private textbooks, why are students being pushed to spend money unnecessarily and is this a systemic lapse or a deliberate attempt to profit from public education?
