India: Government Schools to Collect Data on Private Counterparts

The Education department has asked headmasters and principals of cluster schools (cluster schools heads take care of more than two to three schools) to collect the date of private schools affiliated to any board, that is Punjab School Education Board, CBSE or ICSE. The school headmasters and principals, who have been deputed to collect all this information, are feeling quite harassed.

According to a headmaster of a government school, "We were issued these instructions on Saturday and were asked to submit this information by Monday. Each of us has been assigned ten schools. We have been asked to fill a detailed performa about ten private schools in our area. The details include as from where the private school issue uniform to schoolchildren and of how much does it cost. Similarly, whether school issues books, notebooks, bag and other stationery items to students from the school campus or compels children to buy them from a particular shop."