Agartala: The Tripura High Court has banned private tuitions by teachers of government and government-aided schools, evoking a strong opposition by the pupils' guardians, an official said here on Friday.
A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Utpalendu Bikash Saha in a judgment on Thursday also banned private tuitions by private school teachers to students of their own school.
However, the teachers of private schools could give lessons to students from other schools.
A section of guardians strongly opposed the court decisions.
"The high court in May took up a suo moto case against the rampant private tuition by government, non-government, semi-government and private schools teachers. After a long hearing and taking the views of the state government, the high court almost completely banned the private tuition in the state," an official of the state school education department said.
School and Higher Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty said the state government had banned private tuition by government school teachers in 2011.
"But a large number of teachers do not follow the government orders. A section of guardians also pressurised government school teachers to take private tuitions. The state government favours the High Court decision," the minister told reporters.
After the High Court took up the suo moto case in May, the state's school education department had served show cause notices to hundreds of school teachers for doing private tuition.
Also, a group of students of the secondary and higher secondary level and a large number of guardians held public meetings, rallies and staged demonstration here. They also met senior education department officials to resolve the issue.
Mritunjoy Deb, convener of the newly-formed guardian forum, said that private tuition cannot be stopped. "The whole education system in the country is dependent on private tuition. How can it be banned in Tripura," he asked.
Deb told reporters: "The students at the secondary and higher secondary levels are facing tough competition in various entrance tests. Unless they get extra coaching, it is impossible for them to face those highly competitive exams."
