Srinagar, Dec 26 The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has asked affiliated private schools to implement the curriculum and textbooks prescribed by the board from the ensuing academic session for all classes.

According to the news agency— JKBOSE Director Academics in a notification said that any deviation or non-compliance of the instructions of the board or government of Jammu and Kashmir or even non-adoption of JKBOSE prescribed text books and curricula by any academic institution shall warrant a disciplinary action, imposition of a penalty up to Rs.50,000 or both.

JKBOSE in August-2022 had impressed upon all the affiliated private schools of the UTs of J&K and Ladakh to ensure that the text books published by the JKBOSE are implemented and prescribed, in the first phase, for classes 6th to 8th from the Academic Session 2023-24.

“A writ petition was filled before the High Court of J&K and Ladakh, by Private Schools United Front, challenging the notification regarding the implementation of textbooks published by JKBOSE by all the private schools for Classes 6th to 8th in the first phase,” reads the notification.

JKBOSE said that the writ petition was dismissed by the High Court, which in its order has observed that the board is well within its rights to make it mandatory for all the private schools to prescribe textbooks published by it.

The board officials accordingly directed all the affiliated private schools of the UTs of J&K and Ladakh that they shall implement the curriculum and the textbooks prescribed or published by JKBOSE from ensuing Academic session 2024-25 for classes 1 to 12.

“No School shall force any parent or students to purchase books or material other than those published and prescribed by JKBOSE,” it reads.

The board has advised the parents that in case any school forces them to purchase books other than those published by the JKBOSE, they should immediately contact or inform the concerned authorities—(KNO)