The Central Board of Secondary Education has asked its affiliated schools to refrain from putting pressure on parents to buy books, stationery and uniforms from select vendors or from the schools itself, PTI reported on Thursday. The board has also asked schools to behave like educational institutions and not like commercial establishments.

According to the board’s advisory on the matter, dated April 19 and signed by Deputy Secretary K Srinavasan, schools must adhere to the provisions of the CBSE’s Affiliation Bye-Laws. “However, it has been brought to the notice of the board through various complaints received from parents and other stakeholders that schools are still indulging in commercial activities by way of selling books and uniforms etc within the school premises or through selected vendors,” it read.

The advisory cited bye-laws that “mandates that the Society/Trust/Company registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, shall ensure that the school is run as a community service and not as a business.” The board has also asked schools to prescribe NCERT/CBSE textbooks instead of recommending those by private publishers.