In a significant decision requiring private non profit accepted schools in Delhi to stop forcing students and parents to buy books, notes and uniforms, school bags, etc., in advance of the next school year, the Directorate of Education has instructed all private non profit schools in Delhi to cease requiring students and parents to purchase books, notes and uniforms from particular schools (at least one) or suppliers.
The Director of the Directorate of Education issued a directive on April 1; no longer will private non profit schools in Delhi require a parent/student to purchase any required item from any supplier/vendor, and all private non profit schools in Delhi shall strictly comply with all requirements of existing regulations, and there will be penalties for any of these schools that do not comply.
The purpose of this directive is to end the illegal practice of forcing parents/students at some schools to purchase their son's/or daughter's required items from a specific vendor, and creating an unnecessary financial burden for their family.
In the directive from the Directorate of Education, Director Kelly Williams reaffirmed that private, non-profit, recognized schools that are operated by a trust or society on a no-profit/no-loss basis cannot profit from any aspect of running the school.
The order makes it clear that schools:
- Schools cannot force parents to buy books, notebooks, uniforms, bags, and accessories from a single source
- Schools cannot force students to use materials not in their curriculum
- Schools cannot frequently change the design and specifications of their uniforms any more than every 3 years
- Schools may not have exclusive distribution agreements with their suppliers or take any action to indirectly or directly require parents to buy from a specific retailer
To ensure transparency and accountability, schools must : Display a complete class-wise list of prescribed books and materials
- On the school website
- On notice boards
- Within the school premises
- Clearly display uniform specifications.
Provide details of at least five nearby vendors, including names, addresses, and contact numbers, where prescribed items are available.
Schools have also been cautioned that concealing such information or misleading parents can invite legal consequences.
