Despite a clear directive from the court in 2020 and subsequent notices issued by the state education department, some government teachers in Tripura are still allegedly providing private tuition to students.
The court had issued the directive in an effort to ensure that students in government schools receive quality education without being burdened by the additional cost of private tuition. The state government had also issued notices warning teachers that they would face strict action if they continued to provide private tuition.
However, despite these measures some teachers are reportedly continuing to defy the ban and are even using their positions to coerce students into taking their tuition. This is causing concern among parents and education activists who fear that it is affecting the quality of education in government schools.
In particular, parents in the Khowai Sub-division of Tripura state have raised concerns about the issue. They allege that some teachers in Vidya Jyoti-affiliated schools are forcing students to take their tuition and that those who do not comply are being threatened with lower marks or even being denied admission to the school.
“We are being forced to pay for private tuition classes which is a burden on us. But what’s worse is that the teachers are not teaching properly in school and our children are suffering,” said a parent, who wished to remain anonymous.
The parents also claim that the poor performance of students in the secondary and higher secondary examinations in Vidya Jyoti schools this year is due to the fact that many teachers are more interested in providing private tuition than in teaching their students in class.
“The government has launched several initiatives to improve the quality of education but these teachers are undermining those efforts. We demand that the government take action against them,” said a senior citizen of Khowai Sub-division.
Meanwhile, the Khowai District’s education officer has acknowledged the problem and has said that action will be taken against teachers who are found to be violating the ban on private tuition and even they have already issued showcause notice to many teachers. However, the parents have expressed scepticism about whether the authorities will actually take any action.