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Campaigns such as “Fix the Schools” are drawing attention to the condition of India’s education system. The focus on school infrastructure is important. Children cannot be expected to learn properly in unsafe buildings, without basic facilities or in classrooms that lack the resources they need.

But repairing school buildings is only one part of the problem.

If India genuinely wants to improve education, the debate must also address the practices operating inside the education system. Along with better infrastructure, there is a need for greater transparency, stronger accountability and an examination of the growing financial burden placed on parents.

That is why the campaign should not stop at “Fix the Schools.”

There should also be a stronger public demand:

“End Commission Practices in Education.”

The issue becomes particularly important in rural areas, where government schools continue to face infrastructure and staffing challenges while families sending their children to private schools often face rising education-related expenses.

The Key Problems That Need Attention

1. “Fix the Schools” Alone Is Not Enough

Improving school buildings is necessary, but it cannot solve every problem facing education.

A school may have a repaired building, fresh paint and better infrastructure, yet students may still struggle if teachers are regularly assigned non-teaching duties or if families cannot afford the educational materials required by private schools.

Education reform must therefore address both the physical condition of schools and the system that operates inside them.

2. Rural Government Schools Need Serious Attention

The condition of government schools in rural areas remains a major concern.

In some places, buildings require urgent repairs. In others, children may not have access to adequate classrooms, seating or other basic facilities.

The situation becomes even more worrying when children are forced to study in unsuitable surroundings.

Such conditions can affect attendance, learning outcomes and the confidence of both students and parents in the public education system.

However, the responsibility cannot simply be placed on teachers.

The larger education administration also needs to be held accountable.

3. Teachers Should Primarily Be Allowed to Teach

One of the important issues is the amount of non-academic work assigned to government school teachers.

Teachers may be required to participate in surveys, collect information, complete forms or assist with various government programmes.

Some government exercises may be necessary. However, when teachers are repeatedly taken away from classrooms, students lose valuable teaching time.

The basic question is simple:

If teachers are hired to teach, why are they being used for so many unrelated administrative responsibilities?

Government departments should explore other ways of handling such work so that teachers can concentrate on teaching, lesson preparation and students.

4. School Premises Also Need Better Security

The responsibility of improving schools does not end when the school building is repaired. School premises are public educational assets and need proper protection.

In some areas, concerns have been raised about school campuses being misused after classes, including becoming gathering points for people involved in drinking or substance use. Schools should remain safe spaces for children.

Authorities must clearly establish responsibility for security, maintenance and monitoring of school premises, including outside school hours.

5. Private Schools Create a Different Financial Pressure

Government schools face their own problems, but private schools can create another set of challenges for parents. Many families choose private schools because they believe their children will receive more consistent teaching and better academic discipline.

But tuition fees are often only one part of the total cost. Parents may also have to pay for books, notebooks, school bags, uniforms and other materials. This is where concerns about school-linked purchases become important.

6. The Book and School-Supply Business Needs Transparency

One of the biggest concerns raised by parents is the practice of directing them toward particular shops for school books and supplies.

A school may provide a list of required books. In some cases, parents may then be told to purchase those books from a specific shop.

This raises an obvious question:

Why should parents be restricted to one particular seller if the same educational material is available elsewhere?

Parents should have the freedom to compare prices and purchase genuine books from any legitimate shop or online platform. The same principle should apply to notebooks, bags and other standard school supplies.

7. Expensive Notebooks and Branded School Products

The concern is not limited to textbooks.

A standard notebook available in the open market at a relatively low price can become significantly more expensive when it is produced or sold as a school-branded product.

The same can happen with school bags and other items. For an individual purchase, the difference may appear small.

But when a family buys books, dozens of notebooks, bags, uniforms and other supplies for one or more children, the total cost can become substantial. For lower-income families, these additional expenses can create real pressure.

8. Parents Should Be Free to Choose Where They Buy

The solution does not have to be complicated. If a school requires a particular textbook, it should provide parents with the exact details needed to identify that book.

Parents should then be free to buy it from any legitimate seller. They should not have to depend on one particular shop simply because the school has directed them there. Greater freedom would also create competition among sellers and could help families find better prices.

What Should Governments Do?

There are several practical steps that governments and education authorities could consider.

1. Publish Class-Wise Book Lists

Every school should publish the complete list of books required for each class before the academic session begins.

The list should include:

• Book title
• Author
• Publisher
• Edition, where relevant
• Maximum retail price
• Required quantity

This would allow parents to make informed purchases.

2. Make Book Prices Transparent

Parents should be able to check the official price of every prescribed book.

There should be no confusion about whether they are paying the correct price.

3. Allow Parents to Buy From Any Seller

Parents should have the right to purchase prescribed books from any legitimate shop or online platform.

Schools should not unnecessarily restrict them to one particular retailer.

4. Investigate Commission-Based Practices

Authorities should examine complaints related to commissions, forced purchases and exclusive arrangements between schools and suppliers.

Where wrongdoing is established, appropriate action should follow.

5. Audit School Finances

Private schools should face clear financial and administrative oversight, especially where parents raise repeated complaints about mandatory purchases and additional charges.

Audits can help distinguish legitimate educational expenses from questionable commercial practices.

6. Reduce Non-Teaching Work for Government Teachers

Teachers should not become the default workforce for every government survey or administrative programme.

Their primary responsibility should remain education.

7. Improve School Security

School campuses should have clear security and maintenance arrangements so that public educational property is not misused after school hours.

8. Provide Affordable or Free Books to Needy Students

Governments could provide free or subsidised books to children from economically weaker families.

This would directly reduce the financial burden on parents.

Is Education Becoming a Commission Business?

This is perhaps the most important question in the entire debate.

Education is supposed to create opportunities. It should help children move forward regardless of their family’s economic background.

But when families face increasing costs for books, notebooks, bags and other mandatory supplies, education can become financially difficult.

The issue is not whether private schools should be allowed to operate or whether schools should have standards. The issue is transparency and choice.

A school can prescribe a particular textbook for academic reasons. But parents should still have the freedom to purchase that textbook from a legitimate seller at a fair price.

Similarly, schools may have genuine reasons for requiring uniforms or identity-related items. But those requirements should not become an excuse for unchecked pricing or unnecessary commercial pressure.

That distinction matters.

The Financial Burden on Ordinary Families

For many families, the beginning of a new academic session brings a significant financial burden. Parents have to arrange books, notebooks, uniforms, school bags and stationery, while additional school-related charges can add to the expense. When these costs are combined, particularly for families with more than one child, the annual education bill can easily run into thousands of rupees.

For a middle-class family, this may already be a considerable expense, while for a low-income rural household, it can become a serious financial challenge. This is why affordable education should be treated as a policy issue rather than simply a matter between individual schools and parents.

Education Reform Needs Accountability at Every Level

A better education system requires accountability across the entire chain. Government departments must ensure adequate infrastructure and staffing, while school administrations must maintain educational standards and provide a proper learning environment. Teachers need the support and time required to focus on teaching, while private institutions must operate with greater transparency. Parents, too, should have clear information about fees, books and other mandatory expenses, while children must remain at the centre of every education policy.

No single reform can solve all these problems, but greater transparency can make a significant difference. When parents know what books their children need, how much they cost and where they can buy them, unnecessary financial pressure can be reduced. Similarly, when teachers are protected from excessive administrative duties, students receive more classroom time. Proper maintenance and security of school premises can also ensure that public investment is protected. These may appear to be separate issues, but together they determine how effectively an education system works.

Government and Private Schools Face Different Challenges

It is also important not to treat all schools in the same way. Government schools primarily need stronger infrastructure, adequate staffing, better classroom resources and protection from excessive administrative duties. Private schools, on the other hand, may require stronger oversight regarding fees, compulsory purchases, transparency and commercial arrangements. The solution should therefore be targeted rather than based on a blanket approach. The ultimate goal should be to improve the quality of education while keeping it accessible and affordable for ordinary families.

Why the Debate Must Go Beyond “Fix the Schools”

A campaign demanding better schools is valuable because children deserve safe classrooms, proper facilities, qualified teachers and affordable learning materials, while parents deserve transparency. But the education debate cannot end with the condition of school buildings. A new roof or a repaired classroom is important, but if a family is still forced to spend excessive amounts on books and school supplies, the underlying problem remains.

Likewise, a modern classroom will have limited impact if teachers are repeatedly pulled away from teaching to complete unrelated administrative work. Education reform must therefore look beyond buildings and address the entire system—from infrastructure and teaching to affordability, transparency and accountability.

The Bigger Campaign: End Commission Practices in Education

The demand should be broader than simply repairing schools.

The country needs a system where:

• Schools are safe and properly maintained.
• Teachers are allowed to focus on teaching.
• Parents can freely choose where to purchase books.
• Book prices are transparent.
• School-supply costs are reasonable.
• Financial arrangements are subject to scrutiny.
• Complaints can be investigated fairly.
• Poor families receive support for essential learning materials.
• Both government and private schools remain accountable.

This is not only about saving parents a few hundred rupees.

It is about building trust in the education system.

When parents believe that every educational requirement has been turned into another expense, trust declines.

When teachers are constantly assigned duties outside the classroom, learning suffers.

And when schools are neglected, children pay the price.

Fix the School, But Also Fix the System

The demand to improve school infrastructure should continue.

But it should be accompanied by an equally strong demand for transparency and accountability.

“Fix the Schools” is necessary.

But the bigger question is:

“When will commission practices end in education?”

Repairing buildings can improve the physical environment.

Reforming the system can improve the future of the children studying inside those buildings.

India needs both.

Also Read: Pankaj Singh’s Untold 2007 Election Story from Pokhara, Haidergarh

The ultimate goal should be an education system where a child’s future is not limited by the condition of a government school, the workload of a teacher or the purchasing power of a parent.

Fix the walls, fix the classrooms, fix the teaching system—and most importantly, fix the practices that make education unnecessarily expensive.

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