SRINAGAR :Minister for Education, Social Welfare, Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo today chaired a meeting with Civil Society Members and representatives of Private Schools Association and Parents Association to discuss key issues concerning the school education sector, with main focus on textbooks and uniform issue.
Addressing the meeting, the Minister stressed that parents must be provided freedom to purchase books and other essential educational material from vendors of their choice and there should be no compulsion to buy from a particular bookseller or publisher.
She said any concerns regarding pricing, availability or other related practices must be addressed through appropriate institutional mechanisms and private school managements must exercise greater responsibility in addressing such complaints.
The meeting witnessed detailed deliberations on availability and pricing of textbooks, freedom of choice for parents, academic coordination between government and private schools, timely preparation for new academic session starting in November, issues related to school recognition and NOCs and verification procedures.
Commissioner Secretary School Education Ram Niwas Sharma, Chairman JKBOSE, Directors School Education Jammu/Kashmir, Secretary JKBOSE and other senior officers were present.
The Minister said primary objective of both government and private institutions should be to ensure delivery of quality education and provide enabling environment for academic excellence.
"The objective should not be to compare government schools with private institutions, but to work collectively towards providing quality education to every child," she said, calling for greater coordination and institutional cooperation.
She directed officers to examine issues raised and take appropriate measures for timely resolution. She also called for constitution of a representative committee comprising members of Private Schools Associations, Parents’ Associations, selected NGOs and officers of Education Department to examine issues affecting functioning of private schools and recommend measures for improving transparency and accountability.
She asked Commissioner Secretary School Education to formulate proposal for the committee at earliest.
She also stressed need for private institutions to follow rules regarding engagement and service conditions of teaching staff and to ensure fairness and stability.
On NOCs and lease-related matters and functioning of Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee, she said government has taken steps to safeguard students' academic interests, including facilitating extensions to prevent students from missing examinations due to pending issues.