NCTB must fast-track delivery of textbooks
It is frustrating that weeks into the new academic year, primary and secondary school students are still waiting for their textbooks. According to a report by The Daily Star, as of mid-January, only 37 percent (or 15 crore) of the 40.15 crore books required for about 4 crore students have been distributed. Among them, those at primary schools have been more "fortunate", with 75 percent of the required 9.19 crore books delivered. Conversely, only 30 percent of the nearly 31 crore books required for secondary schools (and Ebtedayee madrasas) have reached them. The delivery rates are said to be particularly low in regions like Chattogram, Barishal, and Rangpur, leaving their students disproportionately affected.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), which is in charge of developing and distributing textbooks for pre-tertiary students, is distributing the books in phases. Even though the authorities initially promised to ensure timely delivery of books, it was never a realistic goal considering the disruptive effects of the July-August political upheaval and the reversion to the 2012 national curriculum—which necessitated additional work including revisions in 441 textbooks. Another challenge this year is that no printing work was outsourced to India to help in the process (from 2009 to 2023, a portion of the books was printed in India).
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However, it is reasonable to ask why there was no contingency plan to ensure timely printing even though these decisions were made months ago. Why were some printing presses allowed to take on more work than they could handle, allowing the backlog to pile up? And why are some bookstores in Dhaka illegally selling the books at inflated prices when students should be getting them free at schools?
All this points to the lack of sound planning and execution, as a result of which students are losing valuable learning time. Apart from the academic disruptions caused by the lack of books, students from class 10 are also worried about preparations for their upcoming public exams with only a fraction of the books available. Adding salt to the injury, many students are also reportedly struggling with the download of PDFs from the NCTB website—an alternative to printed books not accessible to all—because of server issues, leaving them with no options. As if these problems were not enough, the NCTB also came under criticism for inaccurate information as well as the removal of "Adivasi" graffiti from textbooks.
This state of affairs has to change. The authorities say that all the textbooks would be distributed within February, but such assurances are not enough. We urge them to step up their efforts to fix all the challenges facing textbook delivery. A thorough investigation is also needed into the inefficiencies and alleged corruption in the printing and distribution process, and those responsible must be held accountable. The government also should prioritise distributing books to regions with abysmal delivery rates as well as students who have public exams in the near future.
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