B for blackmail
Schools in the city overcharge parents for uniforms, trips and lunches, put pressure on family finances to rake in profit
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, July 07, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201207072012070702313503d04754dc/B-for-blackmail.html)
Most children are nervous about rejoining classes when schools open. But their parents are even more stressed as they count the cost of buying the back-to-school basics like uniforms, identity cards, school calendar and even the stationery.
Schools are putting pressure on families to pay for over-priced uniforms and stationery by striking up exclusive deals with clothing companies and stores. Many schools also supply school diaries, identity cards and even books for which they charge as much as five times the market rates.
Parents want to choose where to buy their children’s uniform from. Yet, almost nine out of 10 are forced to buy from “preferred suppliers” that are often expensive. Some even offer poor quality goods.
Uniform cost?
Uniforms differ in price from school to school. A basic school uniform at many ‘reputed’ schools can cost a few thousands. A private school in Ghatlodia charges Rs 3,575 for the uniform of a Class 6 student. The set includes a shirt, trousers, tie, sports trousers and t-shirt. The costliest item is a cotton blazer which alone costs Rs 1,700. When this correspondent inquired at a couple of shops, he found that the entire set could be got for Rs 2,500.
Said Kirti Patel, a Vastrapur resident, “Most parents buy two sets as children soil their clothes easily. But there are many who cannot afford two pairs. So, they wash one at night and iron it in the morning for their child to wear. The school gets commission on the sale of uniforms, and we have to bear all the tension.”
There are 4-5 shops in the city that sell only uniforms. These shops cater to many schools affiliated with Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board.
Several private schools, affiliated to GSHSEB, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or International Baccalaureate (IB), design their own uniforms.
These could be got only through the schools or one particular shop. “Private schools get 17 to 22 per cent commission on uniforms,” said a garment shop owner in Gurukul, refusing to be named.
“While handing over results, several schools also hand over cards to a particular shop which they ‘recommend’ for uniforms. If any parent buys the uniform from elsewhere or gets it stitched from a tailor, their ward is harassed because the ‘colour or stitching differs’,” said Vishal Shah, whose daughter studies in Class 9 at a school near Drive-In. “. They even have colour-coded uniforms for various days of the week. Worse, the school also changes the design of the uniform every two years. So parents cannot even recycle old uniforms,” she lamented.
Overpriced identity
Several schools also overcharge students for identity cards. Our correspondent visited shops at Sara Plus and Sarvodaya building near GPO and Advani market at Dilli Darwaza where identity cards are produced. Said a shop-keeper, “We sell identity cards for anything between Rs 7 and Rs 17. We can make a plastic card (which looks like a debit/credit card) and sell it along with the plastic holder and strap for Rs 17. If you want us to insert a bar code and other digital information, it will cost about Rs 22.”
Lesser-known schools charge up to Rs 30 while renowned schools can levy up to Rs 50 to Rs 100 for an identity card. “Many schools do not even list it separately. It is clubbed under ‘other charges’. And if a child loses a card, the usual fee for the second card is Rs 100,” said Radha Iyer, whose son is a senior KG student in an English-medium school in Navrangpura.
Costly calendars
The school diary or calendar is an interactive medium between teachers and parents. It is aimed at improving communication between schools and parents. It also informs parents of holidays, absenteeism and homework on a daily basis, as well as projects, excursions and all other school activities.
Big publication houses in the city print such diaries in bulk. “If a school does not have a big budget, we retain the design and change the header to whatever the school’s name is. We sell it to schools for Rs 12 to Rs 15 per unit,” said a publisher, refusing to be named. These books are then sold by the schools to the students for 30-35 rupees.
The publisher added, “Private schools design their own diaries. We offer them a discount sell the calendars for anything between Rs 17 and Rs 25.” The schools then charge students anything from Rs 50 to Rs 150.
Stationery loot
Many of the schools also prescribe textbooks, notebooks, colours, calculators, dictionaries and pencils that can be bought only at the school or at a particular store. A stationery or book firm offers commission from 7 to 14 per cent on sales made. “Many private schools get in touch with book publishers in Delhi. They get a commission of 25 to 30 per cent for textbooks. To maximise their profits, schools also prescribe books that are not part of the syllabus. The discount is not passed on to parents,” said a clerk at an English-medium school in Bopal-Ghuma.
Expensive education
Ahmedabad School Management Association President Bhaskar Patel accepted that over the past decade, more and more schools are taking to the practice of overcharging parents. “The schools get commission for everything. This is seen most in private schools. Even grant-in-aid schools indulge in this practice, at a smaller scale, to meet unaccounted expenses. Also, earlier, people would donate money to schools. This is no longer true. Privatisation of schools has turned education into a business.”
He added, “Except for identity cards, parents should be allowed to buy everything from outside. If the items are distributed at school, it should be at a no-profit, no-loss basis. Parents should realise their might and join hands with the education department to rectify this problem.”
Gujarat Rajya Acharya Sangh president Ramesh Amin said, “This practice is not right. If a school has bought something in bulk, the discount should be passed on to parents. Schools should not sell books/stationery with the intention of earning profit.”
District Education Officer (Ahmedabad) R I Patel said, “It is against the law for a school to force parents to buy uniforms or stationery from a particular place. If parents approach us, we will take action.”
Pressured parents
Sachin Shah, whose son studies in Class 8 at a school in Bopal, said, “If I buy books from outside, the store keeper offers me a 30 to 40 per cent discount. But the school forces us to buy books from them at MRP. We were asked to buy a winter jacket from the school for Rs 1,200 when the same jacket is available in local stores for Rs 300! Complaining to the school board is of no use. No action is taken against the school. Instead, the children have to face severe harassment in school. Parents are even asked to remove their child from school for complaining against the management.”
Sikandar Saiyed, whose daughter studies in Class 4 at a school in Navrangpura, said, “I bought a uniform two sizes larger so that my daughter does not outgrow it soon. But the school changed the design and I was forced to buy new dresses anyway. Not just books and uniforms, schools overcharge even for picnics. They charge as much as Rs 700 even if a kid is taken to a spot in the city. Even factoring in the food, transportation and ticket charge, the maximum they can charge would be Rs 200. But parents do not speak up because the school threatens to throw their ward out of school. It is necessary to either protect the identity of the complainant or create a strong parents’ association if we need to see such practices change.”
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, July 07, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201207072012070702313503d04754dc/B-for-blackmail.html)
Most children are nervous about rejoining classes when schools open. But their parents are even more stressed as they count the cost of buying the back-to-school basics like uniforms, identity cards, school calendar and even the stationery.
Schools are putting pressure on families to pay for over-priced uniforms and stationery by striking up exclusive deals with clothing companies and stores. Many schools also supply school diaries, identity cards and even books for which they charge as much as five times the market rates.
Parents want to choose where to buy their children’s uniform from. Yet, almost nine out of 10 are forced to buy from “preferred suppliers” that are often expensive. Some even offer poor quality goods.
Uniform cost?
Uniforms differ in price from school to school. A basic school uniform at many ‘reputed’ schools can cost a few thousands. A private school in Ghatlodia charges Rs 3,575 for the uniform of a Class 6 student. The set includes a shirt, trousers, tie, sports trousers and t-shirt. The costliest item is a cotton blazer which alone costs Rs 1,700. When this correspondent inquired at a couple of shops, he found that the entire set could be got for Rs 2,500.
Said Kirti Patel, a Vastrapur resident, “Most parents buy two sets as children soil their clothes easily. But there are many who cannot afford two pairs. So, they wash one at night and iron it in the morning for their child to wear. The school gets commission on the sale of uniforms, and we have to bear all the tension.”
There are 4-5 shops in the city that sell only uniforms. These shops cater to many schools affiliated with Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board.
Several private schools, affiliated to GSHSEB, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or International Baccalaureate (IB), design their own uniforms.
These could be got only through the schools or one particular shop. “Private schools get 17 to 22 per cent commission on uniforms,” said a garment shop owner in Gurukul, refusing to be named.
“While handing over results, several schools also hand over cards to a particular shop which they ‘recommend’ for uniforms. If any parent buys the uniform from elsewhere or gets it stitched from a tailor, their ward is harassed because the ‘colour or stitching differs’,” said Vishal Shah, whose daughter studies in Class 9 at a school near Drive-In. “. They even have colour-coded uniforms for various days of the week. Worse, the school also changes the design of the uniform every two years. So parents cannot even recycle old uniforms,” she lamented.
Overpriced identity
Several schools also overcharge students for identity cards. Our correspondent visited shops at Sara Plus and Sarvodaya building near GPO and Advani market at Dilli Darwaza where identity cards are produced. Said a shop-keeper, “We sell identity cards for anything between Rs 7 and Rs 17. We can make a plastic card (which looks like a debit/credit card) and sell it along with the plastic holder and strap for Rs 17. If you want us to insert a bar code and other digital information, it will cost about Rs 22.”
Lesser-known schools charge up to Rs 30 while renowned schools can levy up to Rs 50 to Rs 100 for an identity card. “Many schools do not even list it separately. It is clubbed under ‘other charges’. And if a child loses a card, the usual fee for the second card is Rs 100,” said Radha Iyer, whose son is a senior KG student in an English-medium school in Navrangpura.
Costly calendars
The school diary or calendar is an interactive medium between teachers and parents. It is aimed at improving communication between schools and parents. It also informs parents of holidays, absenteeism and homework on a daily basis, as well as projects, excursions and all other school activities.
Big publication houses in the city print such diaries in bulk. “If a school does not have a big budget, we retain the design and change the header to whatever the school’s name is. We sell it to schools for Rs 12 to Rs 15 per unit,” said a publisher, refusing to be named. These books are then sold by the schools to the students for 30-35 rupees.
The publisher added, “Private schools design their own diaries. We offer them a discount sell the calendars for anything between Rs 17 and Rs 25.” The schools then charge students anything from Rs 50 to Rs 150.
Stationery loot
Many of the schools also prescribe textbooks, notebooks, colours, calculators, dictionaries and pencils that can be bought only at the school or at a particular store. A stationery or book firm offers commission from 7 to 14 per cent on sales made. “Many private schools get in touch with book publishers in Delhi. They get a commission of 25 to 30 per cent for textbooks. To maximise their profits, schools also prescribe books that are not part of the syllabus. The discount is not passed on to parents,” said a clerk at an English-medium school in Bopal-Ghuma.
Expensive education
Ahmedabad School Management Association President Bhaskar Patel accepted that over the past decade, more and more schools are taking to the practice of overcharging parents. “The schools get commission for everything. This is seen most in private schools. Even grant-in-aid schools indulge in this practice, at a smaller scale, to meet unaccounted expenses. Also, earlier, people would donate money to schools. This is no longer true. Privatisation of schools has turned education into a business.”
He added, “Except for identity cards, parents should be allowed to buy everything from outside. If the items are distributed at school, it should be at a no-profit, no-loss basis. Parents should realise their might and join hands with the education department to rectify this problem.”
Gujarat Rajya Acharya Sangh president Ramesh Amin said, “This practice is not right. If a school has bought something in bulk, the discount should be passed on to parents. Schools should not sell books/stationery with the intention of earning profit.”
District Education Officer (Ahmedabad) R I Patel said, “It is against the law for a school to force parents to buy uniforms or stationery from a particular place. If parents approach us, we will take action.”
Pressured parents
Sachin Shah, whose son studies in Class 8 at a school in Bopal, said, “If I buy books from outside, the store keeper offers me a 30 to 40 per cent discount. But the school forces us to buy books from them at MRP. We were asked to buy a winter jacket from the school for Rs 1,200 when the same jacket is available in local stores for Rs 300! Complaining to the school board is of no use. No action is taken against the school. Instead, the children have to face severe harassment in school. Parents are even asked to remove their child from school for complaining against the management.”
Sikandar Saiyed, whose daughter studies in Class 4 at a school in Navrangpura, said, “I bought a uniform two sizes larger so that my daughter does not outgrow it soon. But the school changed the design and I was forced to buy new dresses anyway. Not just books and uniforms, schools overcharge even for picnics. They charge as much as Rs 700 even if a kid is taken to a spot in the city. Even factoring in the food, transportation and ticket charge, the maximum they can charge would be Rs 200. But parents do not speak up because the school threatens to throw their ward out of school. It is necessary to either protect the identity of the complainant or create a strong parents’ association if we need to see such practices change.”
