Srinagar, Mar 24: The J&K Board of School Education (BOSE) has postponed textbook distribution again, despite the new academic year starting on April 1.
Schools are conditionally admitting pupils to higher classes after lower class Term-II exams.
Since the BOSE hasn’t started distributing textbooks in schools, pupils are affected.
The BOSE has been heavily criticized by stakeholders for not following its timetable to distribute textbooks in schools.
Teachers and parents have highlighted their worries, noting BOSE’s repeated failures to provide textbooks in Kashmiri schools.
The instructors claimed the agency had advised schools to temporarily enroll pupils in the following courses starting March 25, but textbook shortages caused problems.“We’re told to use a book bank, but we never get enough textbooks. A instructor stated textbooks are often revised, therefore we cannot give pupils last year’s.
A Baramulla instructor stated the Term-II test for children up to class 7 ended a week ago, but the schools hadn’t received the textbooks.
Why BOSE delays the procedure every year is beyond us. A teacher asked not to be identified stated they kept pupils waiting for half the academic session, which hurts their grades.
Last year, textbooks arrived in June and schools ended in November, according to instructors.“The BOSE makes tall claims of timely distribution of textbooks but in reality, these books reach students only for the last four to five months,” the instructor stated.
Greater Kashmir previously reported on BOSE officials’ promises to provide textbooks on schedule this school year, unlike in past years.All schools await the books.Not the first time. We usually get textbooks after half the semester. Finally, the administration blames instructors for inadequate syllabuses, claimed another teacher.
The BOSE has delayed textbook delivery while asking private schools to accept and prescribe J&K Board-published texts for all courses up to 12th.Books aren’t even on the market. We cannot wait half the session to buy BOSE textbooks. The board has disappointed me, said Abdul Rashid, a Srinagar private school parent.
After requiring private schools to use BOSE textbooks, the BOSE promised to acquire student data from UDISE and serve private school pupils last year.
The new academic year has begun, but textbook delivery has not.
Due to the delay, police are being questioned for failing to use the winter holiday to deliver textbooks to all schools.
The board failed to deliver when the session began in March instead of November, an official claimed.The official stated textbook distribution begins in April or May and ends in June or July.
“This deprives students of basic facilities and defeats the purpose of schooling,” he stated.
The new session will begin on April 1, and BOSE Chairman Prof Parikshit Manhas told Greater Kashmir that they had produced a timetable and shared it with all Chief Education Officers.
Distribution of textbooks begins March 27. Prof. Manhas claimed they also told retailers to take the books for private schools.
