After failing to supply them, PSEB puts textbooks online for govt school students

There are nearly 30 per cent students in government schools who are still waiting for books, while a large number of them only got them a few weeks back. (Representational Image)

After failing to provide textbooks to all students of government schools across the state even after six months of the beginning of the new session, the PSEB has now put several textbooks online. Teachers, however, questioned the move saying how was it supposed to benefit students, most of whom come from poor families and do not have access to computers.

There are nearly 30 per cent students in government schools who are still waiting for books, while a large number of them only got them a few weeks back. “Most children in our government schools come from the poor background and for many the main attraction is midday meal because their families cannot even feed them two meal a day. In such a condition, how do board officials think that ‘online’ books can benefit these poor students,” said a school teacher from a government high school in Jalandhar, adding: “I myself got one such book printed just to teach the students which cost me around Rs 200 and how we can we expect that these students can afford to get the print out of these.”

“There are 350 different schools books and to download every book and distribute them to every student is not possible. Moreover children do not take any interest in photocopied books,” said an English teacher. The teacher added that some teachers did in fact paid from their own money to get printouts and distribute them among schoolkids.

Half-yearly exams for several classes are already on at schools. “How we can improve the results of the students when they do not have books for half of the year,” said another teacher. Punjab Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary did not pick her phone despite repeated attempts. District Education Officer, Secondary, Harinder Pal Singh said that no doubt the books got delayed this year, but now the supply was almost completed and moreover all the titles are available ‘online’.

From the next session PSEB will not publish books and the State Council of Education and Research Training (SCERT) would be given the responsibility.