Ahead of schools’ reopening focus shifts on availability of textbooks

Srinagar, Feb 9: Three weeks ahead of the reopening of the schools across Kashmir, the whole focus has shifted to the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) for timely distribution of textbooks to the students.

Soon after the announcement of winter vacation, the distribution of JKBOSE prescribed textbooks came to limelight with officers issuing different statements regarding the availability of textbooks. As already reported, the education minister Sakina Itoo earlier acknowledged the shortage of textbooks and told media persons that the textbooks will be made available before the reopening of the schools.

Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) G N Itoo earlier flanked the minister saying that the textbooks will be made available by the end of January month. However, Joint Secretary Publications (textbooks) in JKBOSE, Sanjeev Goswami in January first week told Greater Kashmir that some of the titles (textbooks) were already available and all the books will be made available by the end of January month. Amid the claims made by the government, the students spent the whole winter vacation period without textbooks.

Stakeholders including teachers and parents have raised their concerns saying that the process of book distribution always gets delayed for unknown reasons in schools across Kashmir. The school teachers are again apprehensive of delay in receiving textbooks in schools from JKBOSE."We have experienced this in the past as well. The textbooks never reach schools on time. Even if textbooks reach the schools, the students never receive a complete set of textbooks as two to three textbooks always remain pending," a school teacher from Baramulla told Greater Kashmir.

Amid the apprehensions of the teachers, the Director School Education Kashmir G N Itoo told media persons that following the announcement for restoration of the November session, the JKBOSE did not get enough time to complete the exercise.

However, the statement goes contrary to the claims made by Director academic JKBOSE who in December 2024 claimed that the printing of the textbooks was an annual exercise and they start the process in October month.

Meanwhile, G N Itoo said around 60 percent textbooks were available and the 100 percent textbooks will be made available before the reopening of the schools.  "60 percent supply of textbooks was available and distribution process was also started," Itoo told reporters.

However, the teachers out rightly opposed the claims saying that the authorities were not giving exact figures. "The schools have not received the textbooks at all," a group of teachers told Greater Kashmir. However, the DSEK assured that the 100 percent supply of textbooks will be made available to students before the reopening of school after winter vacations.

"We will ensure that the textbooks are made available in schools on time. In case we will face any shortage of textbooks, we will utilise the old textbooks preserved in schools as Book banks," Itoo said.He further said that the department made 200 winter tutorials functional during winter vacations wherein the students utilised the old textbooks available in the schools.

"We have old textbooks available in schools, in case need arises, we will utilise these books to overcome the shortage of textbooks," G N Itoo told reporters.