Supply of textbooks for ST/SC students of Class IX, X delayed   

ROURKELA:  Free distribution of textbooks to ST/SC students of Class IX and X has been delayed in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district this year too. The textbooks are yet to reach the government schools which will open on June 17 after a curtailed summer vacation. From past experience, the school authorities apprehend that it would take at least a couple of months to distribute all the books to students. But by then, a significant chunk of the academic session would be lost. 

Normally, the new academic session starts in April before which the textbooks should be supplied to students. But due to the interruption caused by Covid-19 pandemic, the new session will begin from June 17 this year.  

Reliable sources informed that the district has around 50,000 students in Class IX and X in Odia medium government schools and most of them hail from the disadvantaged ST and SC categories. The ST and SC students are not the only sufferers. Students of other categories suffer equally as government-supplied textbooks are not usually released in the market till completion of free distribution of books to entitled students.

Sources further said the delay in supply of textbooks remains a normal practice every year. In 2021, geography books reached the schools in October-end and a month later, students had to appear the first term examination.  

Requesting anonymity, some high school teachers said the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) has been fixing examination schedules much in advance, but never bothers to supply textbooks in time. Around seven years back, similar problem existed in supply of books for Class I to VIII students. But now, the books are available for primary and upper primary school students much before the new academic session. 

The teachers feared that this year too, students of Class IX and X would have to wait till September or beyond for getting books of all the six subjects. Contacted, district education officer AK Pradhan said the BSE supplies books directly to block education offices. He hoped that the textbooks would arrive in the district soon.    

Former president of Sundargarh unit of Odisha Secondary School Teachers’ Association (OSSTA) Rashmit Sahani said students have to suffer for the delay in distribution of textbooks. “Odisha government is augmenting infrastructure and academic ambience under the high school transformation programme on a priority basis. The School and Mass Education department should immediately take steps to ensure timely availability of books,” Sahani added.