Staff Reporter :
The nationwide distribution of free textbooks for the new academic year commenced on Wednesday, but the government encountered significant hurdles in ensuring timely delivery to all students across the country.
Out of the 41 crore textbooks planned for distribution, only six crore were delivered on the first day of the new year, leaving many students without essential learning materials.
Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud, the education adviser to the interim government, addressed the issue during a program at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital yesterday.
Expressing regret, he said, “We sincerely apologize to students and their parents for failing to distribute new books to all students nationwide on the first day of the new year.”
The education adviser refrained from committing to a specific timeline for completing the distribution. He stated, “I won’t speculate on when textbook printing will be finished. Instead, I’ll focus on the process. This year’s textbook printing has felt like fighting a battle.”
Elaborating on the difficulties, he added, “Our decision not to print books abroad was one challenge. Then, the curriculum had to be revised, increasing the number of books. By the time work began, delays were already inevitable. Additionally, many books required further revision.”
Addressing concerns over content neutrality, he remarked, “There’s no such thing as complete neutrality in politics. However, we have made efforts to ensure that the materials reflect non-partisan and unbiased content.”
Prof. AKM Reazul Hassan, chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), provided further insights into the challenges. He revealed, “We revised 441 books within just two and a half months. Six crore books have already been distributed, while an additional four crore are ready for dispatch.”
Despite the initial setbacks, Prof. Hassan outlined a distribution roadmap. He assured, “We aim to deliver all books for primary and tenth-grade students by January 5, eight secondary textbooks by January 10, and all remaining textbooks by January 20.”
This year, the government is undertaking the massive task of printing and distributing 41 crore new textbooks to 4.4 crore students nationwide. While this effort underscores the government’s commitment to education, the delays have highlighted logistical and administrative challenges.
Parents and educators have expressed mixed reactions. While many commend the government for providing free textbooks, concerns about the timely availability of materials persist. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining whether the revised distribution timeline can be met successfully.
