Most schools are set to open on Monday after summer vacation, but students will have to wait longer to get their textbooks. This is because printing of textbooks was delayed owing to shortage of paper. The Department of Public Instruction has now decided to distribute them in two phases.
In the first phase, textbooks needed for the first term will reach schools within the next three days. The second instalment of books will reach by June 20.
As many as 21 printers had bagged the work orders, but were unable to obtain paper as some mills in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were closed owing to lack of raw material and water during March and April. “The closure of Mysore Paper Mills in Bhadravati had also affected paper supply,” a printer said. The paper used for textbooks is 60 gm/sq m.
A total of 511 titles have been printed this year for students from classes 1 to 10. Of the total 6.64 crore textbooks that are to be printed for the 2017-2018 academic year, 4.46 crore books are slotted to be distributed in phase one. Nearly 13% of the textbooks for phase one are yet to be printed, sources in the department said.
Printers also said there was delay on the part of the State government in issuing the work orders. The order was issued only in January-end, as against December every year. This was because there was confusion till January on whether the old textbooks framed when the BJP government was in power or those revised by the committee headed by Baragur Ramachandrappa should be printed. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, finally, instructed officials to ensure that the latter should go to print. Students of class 10, however, will follow the old syllabus textbooks, while class 9 students will get the NCERT textbooks.
Books for all schools — government, aided and unaided — are supplied by the Karnataka Textbooks Society. While government and aided schools get the textbooks free of cost, private schools have to pay.
Students wait for uniforms, shoes
While most boys have already received school uniforms, high school girl students are waiting their new salwar kameez uniforms.
Department officials said that except for nine districts in the Belagavi division, boy students in all other districts have received the uniforms. “Students in Belagavi will receive uniforms by June 10, while the salwar kameez sets will reach high school girls by June 20,” a source said.
Meanwhile, heads of government schools are still awaiting funds to procure shoes and socks. Department officials said the money would reach the School Development and Monitoring Committees next week. Cycles will be distributed to class eight students in rural schools by June-mid.
