Staff Correspondent:

One month and twenty-one days has passed since the start of the academic year. However, not all students across the country have received the full set of textbooks. According to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), as of 19 February approximately 70 million (7 crore) books remain to be printed, the majority of which are for the secondary level.

Due to curriculum changes, textbook revisions and certain other challenges, the education department had previously indicated that there would be some delays in book distribution. However, the delay appears to be longer than anticipated. Given the current printing situation, uncertainty grows as to whether all students will receive their complete set of textbooks within this month. The longer the delay, the greater will be the disruption in academic progress.

Sources from the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) indicated that arrangements were initially made to print approximately 401.5 million (40 crore and 15 lakh) books for approximately 40 million (4 crore) students at primary and secondary levels in the new academic year. However, a reassessment revealed that demand had been overestimated. Upon recalculating, the actual number of books required was determined to be approximately 396 million (39 crore 60 lakh). So far, 70 million (7 crore) are yet to be printed.

In secondary level (including Ebtedayee Madrasa), approximately 305 million (30crore 50 lakh) textbooks are required. As of 19 February, around 236.7(23 crore 67 lakh) million secondary-level textbooks have been printed. However, only 187.46 (18 crore 74 lakh 60 thousand) million textbooks have been distributed. Based on this calculation, approximately 117.5 (11 crore 75 lakh) million textbooks have yet to be supplied.

After printing textbooks undergo quality assessment to ensure they meet the required standards before being authorised for distribution. Consequently, even after printing, immediate dispatch is not possible, as the process requires additional time. Furthermore, delays also occur due to the binding process after printing.

For the primary level, a total of over 91.9 million (9 crore 19 lakh) textbooks are required. Of these, approximately 89.644 million (8 crore 96 lakh 44 thousand) have been printed. However, out of these, over 86.561 million (8 crore 65 lakh 61 thousand) textbooks have been approved for distribution. Approximately 5.4 million (54 lakh) textbooks, accounting for around 6% of the total, have yet to be supplied.

At the beginning of this month, the NCTB chairman Professor AKM. Riazul Hasan that efforts were being made to complete the distribution of all textbooks by 15 February. When contacted last Thursday, he stated that they expect all textbooks requiring assessments to be dispatched within this month. The remaining books primarily belong to categories that do not require assessments and are due to additional demand.

SPOT VISIT

Upon visiting Ispahani Girls’ School and College in Moghbazar, Dhaka, last Thursday at around 10:30 AM, it was observed that teachers were conducting classes. According to the school’s administrative staff, while the supply of primary-level textbooks was slightly below the required quantity, most subjects’ books had been received. However, for Class 9, only three subjects books- Bangla, English and Mathematics, had arrived so far. For Classes 6, 7, and 8 textbooks for most subjects were available, except for a few, such as Arts & Crafts and Home Science. Meanwhile, all textbooks for Class 10 had been delivered.

Later, during a visit to Nilkhet High School in the afternoon, the headmaster, Mohammad Shariful Islam Molla, that Bangla, English and mathematics textbooks had been received for Class 6. For Classes 7, 8, and 10 all subject books were available, whereas for Class 9, textbooks for seven subjects had been received.

To assess the situation in rural schools, an inquiry was made at Adarsha Girls School in Netrokona town. The headmaster, Lutfor Haidar Fakir, stated that his school was experiencing shortages of Class 9 textbooks for agricultural studies, advanced mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, civics and general science.

According to the District Education Office, textbooks for all grades have been largely distributed across the district. However, there is a significant shortage of Class 9 textbooks. The total demand for Class 9 textbooks stands at 464,322 (4 lakh 64 thousand 322), of which only 270,554 (2 lakh 70 thousand 554) have been received.

Further inquiries at several schools revealed that teachers have been downloading the PDF versions of textbooks from the NCTB website for teaching purposes. However, not all students have access to these digital copies. As a result, subjects for which printed textbooks have not yet been delivered are not being effectively taught. This issue is particularly seen in rural schools, where lessons from the unavailable books are almost entirely disrupted.

An anonymous official from the NCTB, that after assessing the situation, priority was initially given to distributing textbooks for three core subjects (Bangla, English and mathematics) across all grades. Following this, focus was placed on printing Class 10 textbooks due to the upcoming SSC examinations. The printing of primary-level textbooks is nearly complete. The current priority is completing the printing of remaining textbooks for Class 9 and other secondary-level grades.

This year, textbooks are being printed and distributed based on the previous curriculum, following modifications to the new curriculum.

It was anticipated that textbook printing would be delayed due to the revisions. However, additional delays have occurred due to procedural issues such as tendering, approvals and contractual processes not being completed on time, along with shortages of paper and art card materials. Given the current situation, it may take until mid-March to ensure that all students receive their complete set of textbooks.

When contacted, the owner of a printing company involved in the textbook production, speaking on condition of anonymity, that due to the ongoing paper shortage, it is likely that the distribution of all textbooks will extend into March.