How many schools violate CBSE regulations on ‘mandatory disclosures’

NEW DELHI: How mandatory are “Mandatory Public Disclosures” for schools? This question crops up every time information is sought on schools and at the time of admission. But absence of disclosures on official websites, incomplete information and web link errors all indicate a lack of transparency on the part of private schools. This opacity creates confusion among stakeholders and the parent community by hiding the school’s actual data. Apart from the fee structure, schools are disclosing little. For example, a school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is required to make its board exam results and stream-wise students’ performance details public as per the mandatory disclosure format in its affiliation bye-laws.

The majority of schools functioning in the country are not following these norms, including ones on disclosing the mandatory public information. When it comes to school-level education, most parents decide purely based on the prevailing perception of a school in their community. If information about schools is public, including results, quality of teachers and physical infrastructure, it can help parents make more informed choices while opting for the best schools.

Moreover, exam boards like the CBSE require all their affiliated schools to make their details transparent and display the mandatory public disclosure at their homepage of the website. This information must be displayed on the school’s websites. However, only 35-40 percent of schools seem to follow this rule. Some of the school websites show domain expired pop ups.

What information is public?

The CBSE board’s mandatory disclosure format contains the five core information points – “general information” which contains the affiliation details, contact details and the principal’s information; “documents and information” on safety aspects such as valid water, health, and sanitation certificates; “results and academics” of the school including the last three years of board results and fee structure;
teachers’ detail; information on
school infrastructure.

Lack of transparency

Careers360 randomly searched the websites of dozens of CBSE schools across the country but did not find the mandatory disclosures on their websites. Despite CBSE making these documents a condition for granting or extending affiliation, they were not to be found. Schools are required to make these submissions to the board for new affiliation as well
as renewal.

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Through an RTI application, Careers360 sought details of schools from the board. Out of over 26,000 CBSE-affiliated schools, there are only about 9,000 schools for which mandatory disclosures were available on the board website, the CBSE shared the link in the RTI response. Out of the available mandatory disclosures, only 40 percent were fully completed as per the norms. CBSE issued a public circular on May 21, 2021 observing that all schools were not following the board’s instructions. It directed that “the icon link so posted on the school’s website should be distinctly visible for easy accessibility”.

Public disclosures and law

Clause 2.4.9 in the CBSE affiliation bye-laws 2018 says: “Every affiliated school will develop their own website containing comprehensive information such as affiliated status, details of infrastructure, details of teachers including qualifications, number of students, address - postal and email - telephone nos., copies of transfer certificates issued, etc. as may be directed by the board from time to time. The website so created should also have information with regard to fees charged.”

The format for the mandatory public disclosures was set out in Appendix 9 of a circular issued in March 2021.

Moreover, states and schools submit some details to the government’s main database on schools, UDISE+, annually but Careers360 could not find any school affiliated to private boards such as the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) or international boards on the UDISE website. There is also no regulation for the collection and disclosure of international schools’ data.

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Careers360 wrote to both the private and international boards to share their mandatory norms but did not receive any response, even after many follow-ups. An RTI application was also filed with the ministry of education on data for international schools which was redirected to the CBSE. No information was forthcoming.

Status of Schools in India

According to the latest UDISE+ statistics, there are 15,07,708 schools functioning in India. Of these, the largest section is of schools that are regulated by state governments and are affiliated to state boards; around 26,837 schools, whether state-run or private, are affiliated to the CBSE. Apart from the government boards, there are private boards like CISCE with 2,682 schools; international boards and curriculums such as International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement of US college Boards, Cambridge International Examinations, and Pearson Edexcel.

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Out of over 26,000 CBSE-affiliated schools, there are only about 9,000 schools for which mandatory disclosures were available on the board website

Careers360 wrote to both the private and international boards to share their mandatory norms but did not receive any response, even after many follow-ups.