Parents gherao DEO office over no action against schools’ ‘violations’

Bhopal: Furious parents of school students gheraoed the District Education Office (DEO) on Friday, demanding action against private schools selling overpriced textbooks from private publishers, ignoring fee rules and forcing uniform purchases from select shops. The protest was organised under the banner of Madhya Pradesh Parents Association.
The stir erupted after repeated complaints yielded no response from the school education department, said protestors. Association members also submitted a strongly worded memorandum, slamming the DEO for granting extensions to schools violating the MP Private School Fee Rules 2020. These rules require schools to upload fee details, audited accounts, and financial information on the government's fee portal and their websites 180/90 days before the academic session—by Dec 31, 2025."Most schools have ignored this for years, causing government revenue losses and leaving parents in the dark about fees, forcing tough decisions on admissions," said Devendra Tiwari, association Bhopal unit president.The group called for immediate rollout of uniform SCERT/NCERT textbooks in all schools, per existing regulations and govt orders. They accused the DEO of neglecting rules against duplicate books, arbitrary fee hikes, non-compliance with school bag policies, unregulated transport charges, and failure to retain prescribed books for three years.Association general secretary Prabhodh Pandya urged alerting the district fee committee and the collector, for swift directives. Parents highlighted ongoing financial burdens and strain on children, citing Madhya Pradesh govt alerts under the Right to Education Act 2009, high court orders, NCERT, CBSE guidelines, and child rights commissions. "Despite instructions to authorities, schools haven't disclosed book lists or rates online, breaching Section 6 of the 2020 rules. Under Section 3(2), schools must file three years of audited accounts and estimates in Form 3, with penalties—five times the prescribed fee—for violations, directed toward education promotion," said father of a class 6 students Santosh Sahu. Another parent said, "Enough is enough. Administration should take some decision to help us or else we will come on street." "Granting extensions is unacceptable. No action was taken despite our evidence and in-person submissions," the memorandum stated, questioning DEO oversight. When contacted, DEO NK Ahirwar said, "I have forwarded their demands to higher authorities. They will decide about it." Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !