To improve the quality of classroom teaching, a section of ICSE schools is mulling a ban on teachers giving private tuition. At the time of appointment, the teachers would be made to sign an undertaking that they will not give private tuition to students of the school.

The matter is set to be discussed at the 49th national conference of Association of Schools for the Indian School Certificate Principals, to be held in the city from November 22. The association is a national body of principals of nearly 1,200 unaided non-Anglo-Indian schools affiliated to the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations.

According to officials of the Bengal chapter of the association, the council’s service rules for teachers do not permit them giving private tuition. But the principals feel that a specific clause banning private tuition needs to be introduced.

“We are trying to find measures to stop private tuition. The undertaking is one such measure... If the new clause is incorporated in the appointment letters, teachers will not be able to offer private lessons to students outside the classroom,” said H.P. Das, principal of St Stephen, where the conference will be held.

The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and some other boards have guidelines and codes of conduct for teachers of state-aided schools that prohibit private tuition. This is the first time ICSE schools are trying to implement such a ban.

Since the bar on private tuition is being planned on the model followed by the government, the ICSE schools will ensure that the teachers are paid on a par with teachers of state institutions.

Keya Sinha, president of the Bengal chapter of the association, however, admitted it would be difficult to stop private tuition by teachers merely by imposing a ban.

“We have noticed that most parents have a tendency of making children take private tuition. They have the wrong notion that extra coaching will help their wards excel in examinations. We need to raise awareness against private tuition among parents,” said Sinha.

The conference will deliberate on a host of other issues. Reverend Jose Aikara, principal of De Paul International Residential School, Mysore, and general secretary of the association, said: “Academic and administrative matters will be discussed with the council authorities. The principals are free to offer suggestions to improve the standard of teaching in schools.”