The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) on Wednesday ordered a Baldwin school to stop the sale of textbooks hours before the institution was to distribute them to students. This comes over a week after parents accused the school of overcharging them.
The interim order passed by Kripa Amar Alva, KSCPCR chairperson, reads: "The respondent school is directed to stop selling books immediately till further orders. The DDPI and BEO are directed to ensure that the respondent school follows the direction and report compliance forthwith."
Speaking to DH, Kripa said the case was recently brought to the commission's notice and that she passed the order as the school had already scheduled the distribution of books for Wednesday.
On May 21, hundreds of parents gathered outside the Baldwin Co-Education Extension High School in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, expressing anger at the prices quoted by the institution for the purchase of textbooks. They also accused the school of refusing to display a list of the prescribed textbooks and that it insisted them to buy from a particular seller.
Govt intervention
The Department of Public Instruction had ordered the Block Education Officer and the Deputy Director of Public Instruction to look into the matter. On Wednesday, it issued a list of officials who will stay on the school premises every day and ensure that it doesn't collect any illegal fee or sell books and uniforms.
The officials will also visit Right Solutions, Vasavi Mahal, Pacific Systems on Convent Road and SLV Industries in Langford Garden and ensure these entities do not carry out any activities in association with the school. Police help can be sought, if necessary.
When contacted, the school denied any wrongdoing. "We have not been selling textbooks at all. I do not know what this miscommunication is about," said Vijaykumar, school principal.