Amid outcry, JKBOSE notifies textbook distribution schedule for education zones across Kashmir
Srinagar, Feb 14: Amid an outcry over the delay in distribution of the textbooks, the JK Board of School Education (BOSE) has notified the schedule for the distribution of the textbooks to education zones across Kashmir division. As per official communication addressed to the Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK), the JKBOSE officials have intimated that the zones, as mentioned in the schedule "are requested" to collect the next installment of textbooks in addition to the already collected free supply of textbooks.
"The concerned CEOs are requested to depute one official along with the authority letter for lifting of textbooks from the textbook store Kashmir division, new campus Bemina Srinagar," reads an official communication signed by Joint secretary textbooks. The move comes a day after the JKBOSE officials were cornered during a meeting chaired by education minister , wherein the CEOs blamed the JKBOSE for not supplying the textbooks as per the requirement
The CEOs complained the JKBOSE earlier informed the ZEOs to reach Bemina office for collection of textbooks along with the vehicle. However, the Board supplied one or two textbooks for students from 1st primary to class 8th instead of providing a complete set of textbooks.
However, a day later, the JKBOSE notified the schedule for distribution of textbooks.
As per the schedule, education zones of district Ganderbal will be provided textbooks on February 15 followed by education zones of Kupwara district on February 17 and zones of Baramulla district on February 18 of 2025. Also, the concerned officials from education zones of Bandipora district have been called for collection of textbooks on February 19 while textbooks for education zones of Shopian will be distributed on February 20 of 2025. The textbooks for education zones of Kulgam and Pulwama districts will be lifted on February 21 of 2025 followed by Srinagar, Anantnag and Budgam districts on February 22 of 2025.
As already reported, the School Education Department (SED) was facing acute shortage of textbooks following which it decided to retrieve the previous years' used textbooks from the students and utilise the same in the current academic session to overcome the shortage of the textbooks. As of now, the education zones across Kashmir have received only 20 to 30 percent textbooks from JKBOSE while the schools are scheduled to reopen from March 1 of this year post winter vacations.
