AGARTALA, June 12 (TIWN): Upset with the State Govt.’s inability to put a curb on the private tuition by school teachers, the Tripura High Court on Thursday took a suo moto case on the matter and gave some directions to the state Govt. led by Manik Sarkar. The Tripura High Court on Thursday urged the state Govt.’s Department of Education and the Dept. of Higher Education to submit the details of the measures taken by them so far to stop private tuition by the school teachers both of Govt. schools and privately run schools of the state. The High Court set July 31, 2015 as the deadline for submitting the necessary orders of the state departments discouraging the practice of private tuition both by the teachers of Govt. run schools and private schools. It may be mentioned here that the issue of school teachers resorting to private tuitions in their homes and coaching centers bunking classes in the schools was criticized by different sections of the society irrespective of caste and politics.Department of Primary education through a circular tried to put restriction on the Govt.’s primary school teachers’ practice of private tuition and the step was more or less successful in putting the Govt. school teachers under control.

But the High School and Higher Secondary School teachers were never brought under any restriction by the Govt. prompting the school teachers to run their education business unimpeded.

The Department of Higher Education took some stringent step of cautioning the college teachers against private tuition and even punished some irate college teachers by transferring them to different colleges disturbing their education business in their places. Many College teachers chose to resign from their jobs to continue to their tuition business when they were transferred to different colleges.  

School teachers resorting to private tuition to earn some extra money is a common practice in this left ruled state where the Govt. teachers as well as the private teachers are underpaid for their normal jobs as compared to the same volume of service in other states of the country.

The High Court further urged the Govt. to issue advertisement in two daily newspapers of the state for people’s view about the issue of private tuition by school teachers of both Govt. and private schools.

The High Court will consider all the views of the different sections of the society before giving any observation or final verdict on the issue.

It may be mentioned here that the Tripura High Court on a significant judgment had put a curb on the rampant private practices by Govt. doctors of the state. The High Court restricted the Govt. doctors to three hours private practice daily in their own homes or rented houses during off hours of their regular duties in Govt. jobs.

The High Court is expected to frame some guidelines in the private tuition issue too in the interest of all sections of the society.