Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has accused the state government of enabling the arbitrary practices of private schools, which he claims are exploiting parents financially.
According to Hooda, a significant number of complaints have been received from parents across the state who allege that private school managements are collecting various illegal fees. These fees are said to be unjustified, adding to the financial burden on families already struggling with education-related expenses.
A key issue raised by parents is the exorbitant charges for textbooks. While the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) books are generally priced at around ₹650, parents are being forced to pay as much as ₹4000 for the same set of books.
In addition to this inflated cost, parents are also required to purchase supplementary books costing between ₹2500 and ₹3000. Another troubling aspect of this situation is the pressure placed on parents to buy these books exclusively from select shops, some of which are reportedly charging up to six times the standard price.
Hooda has strongly criticised the BJP-led state government for failing to take appropriate action against the exploitation by private schools. He pointed out that instead of regulating the activities of these schools, the government seems intent on privatizing the entire education system.
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According to Hooda, the government's policies have led to the closure of existing government schools rather than the establishment of new ones. Moreover, there has been an unofficial ban on teacher recruitment in government schools.
Hooda emphasised that during the entire 10-year tenure of the BJP, not a single Junior Basic Teacher (JBT) position had been filled, resulting in around 50,000 vacancies in the education department.
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Furthermore, Hooda accused the government of implementing schemes that encourage parents to send their children to private schools, rather than supporting the growth and improvement of government schools.
He claimed that the BJP’s policies are intentionally depriving children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, including those from poor families, farmers, Dalits, and backward classes, of access to affordable and quality education.
Despite raising these concerns in the Assembly, Hooda criticised the government for not taking any meaningful action to address the issue of private school exploitation. He suggested that the lack of response from the government demonstrates its indifference to the welfare of students and their families.
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