Thursday, 11 April 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The president of the National Association for Parents and Students Rights (NAPSR) Arif Khan demanded the state government to set up book banks across the State to provide financial assistance to the poor parents in view of the soaring prices of books. “This year, there has been an average increase of 40 per cent in book prices and private schools are fleecing parents by forcing them to buy reference books in addition to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) books. NCERT books cost Rs 1,000 while reference books for private schools cost anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8000 per set,” he said and added that the education department should constitute monitoring committees in private schools too aside from setting up book banks across the State to provide free second-hand books to the children of the financially disadvantaged parents.
He said that at present, 10 book banks are being run by NAPSR across Dehradun district which make available free school books from play schools to higher classes and those needed by those appearing in competitive examinations. “Our focus is on the children from the economically unprivileged sections of the society,” Khan added.
