SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government is preparing to intervene against the high prices of textbooks prescribed by private schools, with Education Minister Shameema Firdous announcing that an order will be issued soon after consultations with education officials, as the government seeks to reduce the financial burden on parents and improve the appeal of government schools.
Firdous said on Monday that textbook sets costing between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000 were a matter of concern and that private educational institutions needed to reconsider their pricing practices. She said she would convene a meeting with the Director of School Education and other concerned officials before the government issued formal directions.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, the minister indicated that the government intended to address the issue through an organised regulatory intervention, although she did not disclose the proposed provisions of the order or specify when it would be issued.
“We will do something about it. The book sets they have kept for Rs 10,000, Rs 6,000, Rs 7,000 – we are going to pass an order very soon on that,” she said.
The proposed intervention comes amid concerns over the expenditure parents incur on books prescribed by private schools, particularly when textbook sets run into several thousand rupees. Firdous said private institutions should reconsider the prices being charged for educational materials.
The minister also linked the issue to the government’s efforts to strengthen public education by ensuring that children enrolled in government schools receive free textbooks and uniforms, allowing them access to facilities comparable to those available in private institutions.
She said the provision of books and uniforms would not only ease the financial pressure on families but also encourage more parents to consider government schools for their children.
Questioning the disparity between the two education sectors, Firdous stressed that government school students should not be deprived of opportunities and facilities available to their counterparts in private institutions.
“Why do we give more to private schools? Our children have to work hard, they have to be brought to the same level as private school children,” she said.
She described the provision of free educational materials as a positive development, saying it could help restore public confidence in government schools and make them more attractive to families.
Referring to the Books Day initiative, the minister said it had been introduced to ensure that students and parents did not encounter difficulties in arranging textbooks, particularly those from families unable to afford their cost.
She said the initiative was intended to address the difficulties faced by parents in purchasing books and ensure that children had access to the materials required for their education.
Firdous said the government wanted the education system to function in a disciplined manner and that the proposed measures concerning private school textbook prices would be discussed with the concerned authorities before implementation.
Separately, the minister called for an increase in the upper age limit for recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir Bank from 30 to 40 years, arguing that the prolonged absence of appointments over the past decade warranted a review of the eligibility conditions.
Describing the existing 30-year age limit as regrettable, she said the bank should take into account the period during which recruitment had not taken place and provide a wider opportunity to aspirants.
“They should keep it up to 40 years, because here no appointment has taken place for the last 10 years. Keeping that in view, they should reconsider this,” she said.
