AGARTALA, June 19 (TIWN): Responding to another public notice before the bench of Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice U. B. Saha, the Tripura High Court on Friday issued notice, directed the principals of a total of 15 private institutions of the state to check the rampant private tuition by a section of teachers of their school. HC issued notice has mentioned that unscrupulous teachers force students to attend tuition, otherwise they are not given proper marks in school. This cannot be permitted to go on, mentioned HC. The court cleared that when the names of other schools come into its notice then the court shall expand the scope of this litigation and issue notices and any person who is interested in the matter can intervene and either support the case of the petitioner or oppose it. However, this writ petition has been registered on the basis of a letter written by the petitioner. Keeping in view the nature of the allegations made, the same has been directed to be treated as a public interest litigation. The teachers, day in and day out are engaged in private tuitions, charging huge fees. It is alleged that these teachers do not spend sufficient time teaching in schools but virtually coerce the students to attend the tuition classes, whereas Article 21A of the Constitution of India has granted a fundamental right to every child between the ages of 6 to 14 to get free education. The court also stated that even the Government of Tripura had issued circulars to stop private tuitions, one of which was issued in April, 2011 prohibiting tuitions but unfortunately this circular limits itself to primary school teachers.

Allegations made by the petitioners are that in Tripura the practice of imparting tuitions by the teachers from both the State Government’s schools and private institutions is rampant. 

We would like the State to clearly inform us whether it means that they are encouraging the middle school and high school teachers to engage in private tuitions or not.

Therefore, the Principal Secretary, Education, shall respond and clearly file a reply in this regard, otherwise we hope and expect that the State before the next date of hearing shall issue a circular clearly banning all Government teachers from engaging in private tuitions, the court directed. The Principal Secretary, Education in this affidavit shall also inform the Court what action, if any, has been taken as pursuant to the said circular, earlier issued by it to ban private tuitions by Government teachers. The Principal Secretary, Education shall also inform this Court whether there is any other circular issued in this regard and what action has been taken for this.

The court in its public notice has also mentioned that this is a case which has been taken up in the interest of the children belonging to the State of Tripura. These children cannot be denied their fundamental rights to be taught properly. The teachers in the Government institutions cannot be permitted to run private institutions. This Court is aware of the fact that even in Government colonies where the teachers have been provided Government accommodations, they are running teaching shops from within their official residences and the authorities have shut their eyes and ears to such violation.

The Tripura High Court recently this month hearing the suo moto case has issued a notice to the government over the growing tendency of private tuition classes in government schools and colleges. The court served a notice to the chief secretary and the secretary of education department and 16 Principals of private schools where teachers were allegedly engaged in private tuition, seeking their reply by July 31.

The court observed that the education system in both government and non-government schools has been suffering because of private tuition by the teachers. Experts say, “The child is being re-tutored during tuition and since the tuition focuses on selective syllabi, development of wholesome knowledge is not achieved. Tuition centre’s have become mark or grade generating factories where the student resorts to ‘reading, cramming and scoring.”

Though of course, the interim order of the HC has irked a section of school teachers and the guardians here in Tripura recently. The negligence role of the state government here has led a large number of teachers and the guardians to be dependent on private tuitions.