Circular banning homework for Classes 1, 2 in two weeks, CBSE tells HC

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has informed the Madras High Court that the circular banning homework for Classes 1 and 2 will be issued within the next two weeks. 

The submission was made before Justice N Kirubakaran who had passed an interim order banning homework while dealing with a plea moved by M Purushothaman, an advocate, seeking a direction to CBSE schools to purchase only books published by NCERT. 

During the hearing, CBSE’s standing counsel G Nagarajan submitted that regarding the compliance of banning homework, a circular is yet to be issued and will be issued within two weeks. He also noted that about compliance of other directions, CBSE would either comply with the order or file an appeal. 

Earlier, Assistant Solicitor General G Karthikeyan produced a communication dated June 29 issued by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of School Education and Literacy, addressed to the Principal Secretary (Education) of all the State Government/UT, to follow the directions issued by the court and to file a report in this regard. 

He also told the judge that reports are awaited from the state governments as well as from Union Territories. Justice Kirubakaran on observing that it is brought to the notice of this court that the minister for Human Resource had already made a press statement that the order of this court would be complied with, posted the matter after two weeks for reporting compliance by the CBSE as well as by the Central government.