First term exams start but many students yet to get textbooks
Three and a half months after start of the academic year, a large number of students in secondary and junior secondary level schools and madrasas in different northern districts are yet to get all their textbooks.
According to schedule, the educational institutions yesterday started the first term examinations, amid students' fear of 'bad result' as many of them could not prepare well due to lack of textbooks.
About one lakh required textbooks on different subjects are yet to reach students in secondary and junior secondary schools in Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh and Nilphamari districts, reports our Nilphamari correspondent.
Following the government's decision to reach free textbooks to secondary level students from this year, dropouts have become interested to resume studies and it is the major cause behind the situation, said the district education officers (DEO).
The government supplied about 37 lakh textbooks for all the high schools, junior high schools and madrasas in Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh and Nilphamari districts on the basis of number of students in 2009 but additional one lakh books are needed now, said sources at district education offices.
"We received about 11.5 lakh textbooks in the beginning of 2010 according to the number of students in schools and madrasas last year. We are in need of 50 thousand more textbooks on different subjects as many dropouts are returning to schools after distribution of textbooks free of cost," said Lalmonirhat DEO Khondar Alauddin Al Azad.
Panchagarh DEO SM Moslemuddin said, "Now we are in need of additional 25 thousand textbooks. Girl students are now interested in reading agriculture subject instead of home economics. So, books on home economics are to be returned and additional number of books on agriculture and other subjects are needed."
Nilphamari DEO Roksana Begum said they freshly need 20 thousand books, mostly on agriculture.
Akhter Hossain, headmaster of Namuri Girls' High School in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat district, said 281 students of his school from classes VI to IX are yet to get agriculture book and 170 students to get Bangla essay book.
Almost all educational institutions of the region are facing similar situation, said teachers.
"We expect early solution of the problem as demand note has been sent to National Curriculum and Textbook Board for providing the required books immediately," said the Nilphamari DEO.
Our Chapainawabganj correspondent adds: Textbook shortage is hampering study at secondary and junior secondary level schools in the district.
Educational institutions, however, started the first term examination yesterday, said teachers and students.
Several books, printed without approval on low quality paper, are available in the local market for additional prices, said a number of students and guardians.
Shoaib Ali, headmaster of Rohonpur Rabeya Girls' High School in Gomostapur upazila, said he did not get 25 sets of textbooks of class-VI, 17 sets of class-VII and 28 sets of class-VIII. Every high school is facing problem due to shortage of books, he added.
Headmasters of Harimohan Government High School and Hasina Girls' High School and assistant headmaster of Pilot High School in Nachole upazila also told similar stories.
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