People urge swift action to avoid textbook delay déjà vu

Srinagar, Feb 16: As the schools in Kashmir are set to reopen on March 1, 2024, after a three-month winter break, concerns mount over the timely distribution of textbooks and uniforms in schools, threatening to disrupt the smooth commencement of the new academic session.

The reopening of schools would be followed by the commencement of the annual (term II) examination in all schools and the class work for the new academic session would commence from March ending or April in all schools.

However, the stakeholders and the teachers have expressed their concern that the textbooks and school uniforms should be distributed among school children to ensure that academic activities run smoothly in all schools.

“The school children never receive textbooks on time which costs them dearly. The distribution of textbooks starts in May and the process continues till June or July. The delayed distribution of textbooks defeats the purpose of education in schools,” said a school teacher posted in a far-off area of Kupwara district.

Notably, the teachers on Tuesday held district-level meetings to deliberate on the issue and urged the authorities in the School Education Department (SED) to ensure that the students receive textbooks and uniforms on time.

The school teachers associated with the Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF) on Tuesday held district-level meetings to deliberate on the issues confronted by the students in schools.

“The delayed distribution of textbooks, school uniforms and funds for Mid-Day Meals always remains a problem in government schools. This year the government should ensure that the schools do not face these problems in the upcoming academic session,” President JKTF Muhammad Shafi Rather told Greater Kashmir.

During the last academic session, the schools across Kashmir reopened in March after winter vacations and the distribution of textbooks was delayed till July and August months.

According to the official schedule notified by JKBOSE in 2023, the process for distributing textbooks was set to commence on April 5, 2023.

However, this timeline was not met, leaving students at the receiving end.

The students were without textbooks till July month.

This year, the J&K Board of School Education (BOSE) has ordered private schools to adopt the BOSE-prescribed textbooks in schools from class 1st primary to class 12th.

In the wake of this, the BOSE has to cater to all the private schools up to the elementary level to ensure the distribution of textbooks in addition to the government schools.

Earlier, Director Academics BOSE Sudhir Singh told Greater Kashmir that all the textbooks would reach schools on time.

Advisor to Lieutenant Governor (LG), Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar told Greater Kashmir that the administration would ensure the timely distribution of textbooks and uniforms in schools.

“We always receive funds for textbooks and uniforms on time and there should be no delay in it,” he said.

Bhatnagar said that he would personally monitor the process to ensure that students do not face any problems in schools.

“Last year there was a delay in the distribution of textbooks as it was the first year of the March session but it should not happen this year and I will personally chase it,” he said.