Tuitions by school teachers in Karnataka may be banned
Karnataka government, taking cover of the Right To Education (RTE) Act, is set to ban private tuitions run by school teachers — and that too, from this year onwards.
Yes, you heard it right, private tuitions will soon become a punishable offence.
Karnataka government, taking cover of the Right To Education (RTE) Act, is set to ban private tuitions run by school teachers — and that too, from this year onward s.
Sources in the Department of Public Instruction told DNA that under the state’s draft rules of the RTE Act, private tuitions by school teachers would be an offence that would invite punishments like suspension. So far, the Karnataka school education department had a ban on private tuition by teachers only of schools affiliated to the Karnataka Board for Secondary Education (KBSC). And now, the state government is planning to extent the tuition ban on teachers of schools under other boards as well—including the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE).
“We are planning a complete ban on private tuitions by school teachers, irrespective of boards. Under the RTE Act, private tuition is an offence and no teacher can engage in the malpractice,” said Prabha Alexander, junior programme officer of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), which is compiling the final state draft rules for the RTE Act.
“In our state, the rule will now be implemented through enactment of a law. Teachers in state government schools or those under other boards cannot impart lessons in private. Flouting of rules will call for punishments, including loss of job or increments,” she said.
SSA is holding discussions with experts and activists in the area to give finishing touches to the draft rules of the RTE Act. Experts said the step to ban private tuition will help in reducing large-scale commercialisation of education and will also bring relief to students forced to attend tuition classes after school hours.
The draft rules of RTE Act, prepared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), states that no teacher shall engage in private tuition or teaching. “A teacher violating the rule is liable to face departmental action according to service norms,” says the Act.
“In Karnataka, the administrative ban was imposed way back in 1995. No government teacher can have any extra earning apart from the salary paid by the school. Now if the law is implemented, parents can seek legal help in case of violations,” said an official of the Department of Public Instructions. In several private schools that are affiliated to state boards, teachers are allowed to offer private tuition to children.
SSA is likely to submit the final copy of the draft rules to primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri by mid-January.