JKBOSE fails to provide textbooks in schools after 3 months of new academic session

Srinagar, June 26: Despite the passage of over three months after the commencement of the new academic session in schools, the J&K Board of School Education has failed to provide a complete set of textbooks to the students in schools, leaving students in a state of academic limbo.

The dearth of textbooks has created a huge crisis in the schools which has severely disrupted the educational process, raising concerns among parents, teachers and the students. The teachers from various districts particularly in north Kashmir complained that the schools have not received a complete set of textbooks which has hampered the academic system in schools.

Reports pouring in from various districts have revealed that the JK Board of School Education (BOSE) has failed to deliver a complete set of textbooks of various classes. The dearth of textbooks has created chaos and confusion in schools given the inordinate delay in receiving a complete set of textbooks. A teacher from Baramulla district told Greater Kashmir that the class 4th and 8th students have not received the textbook of English while the class 5th students have not received the textbook of Mathematics.

The teachers said the textbook of Urdu was also pending for class 3rd students and the textbook of Kashmiri was pending for students of all the classes. The teacher further informed that the textbook of Environmental Science and Mathematics for students of class 4th were also pending as well. Besides government schools, the academics in private schools have also been hit following the government instructions to adopt JKBOSE prescribed textbooks for all classes in private schools. The schools are facing crises as some of the textbooks are not yet available in the market. The parents said that even the books were kept available in the market, but the number supply did not meet the actual requirement.

The move has put the JKBOSE and the School Education Department (SED) under severe criticism for its failure to deliver on ground despite the passage of over three months since the commencement of the new academic session in schools. Amid the crises, the JKBOSE officials said that there was no delay or deferment in delivering the textbooks in school. "We started delivering the textbooks in schools from April month on basis of the requisition submitted by the concerned Chief Education Officers," a board official said.

He however said that in several cases, the CEOs delayed in submitting their requisition for textbooks which might have caused delay in the distribution of textbooks. "We ensured that besides other subjects, the textbooks of language textbooks are delivered in schools across Kashmir division on priority," the official said.

The official while referring to shortage of Kashmiri textbooks in schools said that the JKBOSE does not provide textbooks of Kashmiri free to government schools from class 3rd primary onwards."The government pays for Kashmiri textbooks only for class 1st and 2nd primary. The textbook of Kashmiri subject is available with the approved booksellers in the market," the JKBOSE official said.

He however said that the JK Board will seek feedback from CEOs to ascertain if there was any deficiency in availability of textbooks in schools. "I do not think that there is any delay from our side. But we will get the feedback from concerned quarters and resolve the issue," he said.

Meanwhile, the parents have expressed their anger over the situation while highlighting the adverse impact on the education of the children. The parents questioned JKBOSE for its incompetency saying that they organisation should have not taken the responsibility if it was not in a position to deliver on grounds. The teachers, particularly those in government schools, expressed their helplessness saying that they are struggling to deliver lessons without the required resources.

“We are trying our best to teach with whatever material is available. We have been asked to utilise the book bank available in schools but that is not available in all the schools," a teacher said. The teachers said that it has become difficult to conduct regular classes amid the shortage of textbooks. The situation is prevailing in schools at a time when the government is making tall claims of strengthening the primary section of the schools.

The stakeholders expressed their anguish saying that the JKBOSE has proved its inefficiency and lack of preparedness. "This is not the first time schools are facing such an issue. Every year, there are delays in the distribution of textbooks. But nobody from the department takes the matter seriously," a senior lecturer told Greater Kashmir wishing not to be named.

Earlier, the JKBOSE Chairman Prof Parikshat Singh Manhas in a statement stated that there was no shortage of prescribed textbooks at the board’s offices and claimed to maintain a high standard of textbooks. However, the ground situation is altogether different as students are without textbooks. "We are not debating the standard but our main issue is availability of textbooks which are missing in schools," a school teacher said.